Friday, April 25, 2008

Words of Encouragement













If you are a cloud watcher, do you see anything here? I see a city amongst rolling hills and a beautiful sky. I think this is just God's way of making us take time to see the beauty of his world. This picture is taken at sunrise in Miami. This last one is the close up of the first one. It is the top of the cloud. All pictures this week are the property of James S. Williams



" 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." – Mark 9:23-25

Where can I find help? Do you have faith to believe? Jesus’ disciples tried to cast out a spirit from a boy but were not able to and the man now ask Jesus if he can help. Jesus ask how long have he been like this? The man says since his childhood. He then asks Jesus if there is anything you can do, would you do it?

This is Jesus’ response, if you can. In other words, do you not know to whom you are speaking? Jesus then says to the man, everything is possible for him who believes. The man in excitement says, I do believe and if there is any doubt in me, help me to overcome it.

Sometimes we do the same, we are faced with God and we question can you do this? We have situations that have been going on so long that we think, surely this cannot chance. We want it to change, just as the man wanted his son changed, but we have doubts they can. We go to God in our prayers and say, if there is anything you can do, please do it.

God’s response to us is, do you not know to whom you are speaking? It doesn’t matter how long the situations has been going on, God is able to change it. He then tells us that if we have faith all things are possible to us.

We should respond like the man and with excitement exclaim, I do believe and help me with my disbelief. In other words I need your help in all areas. I need your help to change my situations and I need your help so that I can trust that you will.

As we go to worship this week, go with the confidence that God is our helper. He will help us through our situations and our circumstances. He will sometimes send others to sacrifice of themselves for our release. That is what we are called to do as believers, be living sacrifices as Jesus was the sacrifice sent to release us from our captivity. Sometimes God simply wants us to look in the right places. We trust in things to gives us help, but God wants us to see it is him alone. We can know that when we call for God to help, he hears us and by faith we can believe that he will grant us what we need. So I pray for us to place our complete trust in the one that can help us every situation we face, our loving Father.