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   All things are  possible to him who believes (Mark 9:23)

All of us face troubles at some time that are out of our control. What you do while you wait on God shows where you stand in your faith.

In Mark, Chapter 9, we read of a father who had a son possessed with a spirit. The disciples were unable to cast it out so the father brought his son to Jesus and  implored him saying, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”  Jesus answered, “If You can? All things are possible to him who believes”. The man then cried out to Christ and said, ” I do believe; help my unbelief!”With that,  Jesus then commanded the spirit to come out of the boy and to never enter him again,”

How many times do we present our requests to God only to take them back and try to work them out ourselves when it seems like the answer is taking too long? The truth is that the timing of God is always perfect even when it appears that it may be too late. Just because you can’t see what God doing in your struggle does not mean he is doing nothing! It only means his plan is higher than yours and it has a greater outcome.   The suffering in the life a believer has a deliberate, divine purpose to bring you to a greater knowledge of the God you serve. When you suffer through a painful trial, keep in mind that God knows it. He saw your situation long before you were born and He is with you to the end. You are never without hope if you believe. That is a promise Jesus died to give you.

The Apostle Paul went through many fiery trials and persecutions yet he never lost sight of “the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”(Philippians 3:14)  He knew that all he had to endure was getting him ready for eternity with Christ in a Kingdom that is beyond our understanding. For that reason, he learned how to be content in the good times as well as in times of need.

Waiting on God’s timing can stretch your faith to the limit. A nineteenth-century Christian Pastor named, John MacDuff asked the question regarding waiting on God when he said, “Christian, what is your duty?“.  He wrote that with God, “It is to trust His Heart – even when you can’t trace His hand; believing that ‘all the paths of the Lord and mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies'”

I have a friend who was blind from birth. She never saw the sun or the sky or any colors, yet she didn’t let that keep her from believing God still had a plan for her life. She worked hard and became a highly respected teacher who touched many lives. Although she was blind, she trusted her life to Christ who showed her more than her physical eyes could ever see. She understood that life’s momentary afflictions were producing an eternal weight of glory that far surpasses any suffering. We are to look not at things that are seen but at things that are unseen. What we can see is temporary but what is unseen is eternal. That is real faith in action.

Whatever struggle you are experiencing, there is a way to stay in the peace of God. The man who wanted Jesus to heal his son knew he needed help with his unbelief. Remember, he had heard that Jesus healed others, but there was doubt over whether he would help him.  That was his unbelief. We all face times of uncertainty and it is hard to always believe that God is going to help you.  The fact of the matter is that it is God’s promise to help you no matter what you endure. His way of helping may be different than what you think is good,  but the answer is always perfect for believers who put their faith in Christ. All things must line up with God’s eternal purpose for your life. And isn’t that what you really want?

Jesus died to leave us His unfailing peace no matter what battle we are in. All you need to do is to surrender daily your struggle, your pain and your unbelief to Christ and ask for his help.  He already knows your weakness.  His strength is yours for the asking.

Jesus, I want to believe. Help my unbelief!

Make me a captive, Lord, and then I shall be free;

 Force me to render up my sword, and I shall conqueror be.

  My will is not my own till Thou has made it Thine;

    If it would reach the monarch’s throne

      It must, its crown resign.                   By L.E. Maxwell