I Still Believe (The Great Design)

"I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief!"  Mark 9:24

The above proclamation of the demon-possessed boy from the Gospel of Mark is something I have incorporated into my prayers quite often.

The attitude of trust and complete confidence that the Bible calls belief or trust is not something that we can obtain without help.  Faith is a gift given to us from God.  No matter how much faith we have, we can never reach a point of self-dependence apart from God-even when things seem to be going our way.

Faith is not something that we can hoard and store away like money in a bank, either.  The process of going our faith is a constant process, one that needs to be renewed daily by renewing our trust in Jesus.

We must stay on our knees, in prayer with God each and every day, during both good times and bad ones.  Not only will we have stronger spiritual lives, but we can do great things in the name of our loving Father!

The Question

He who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  James 1:6

Just recently, Thomas, the one that doubted Jesus' death and resurrection, became a topic of conversation among friends.  I can only imagine that God wanted me to read about him or better yet, wanted to reassure me to trust Him at all costs, despite some recent difficulties I have faced as of late.

People without solid faith are at the mercy of the winds when they face the storms of life.  They have a difficult time learning where God is leading them because their faith is not strong enough to discern God's voice and will for their lives.  When your faith is weakened, it's hard to see all that Jesus is doing to protect you and in the midst of a storm, this is a major problem.

We (myself definitely included) need to expect God to answer our prayers, petitions, and needs, without doubting Him.  God desires to be in fellowship with us, to speak to us, and to meet with us.  Doubt makes us wonder whether interaction with God is even a possibility.

Open your heart and mind and trust God without doubt...if you want it you've got to believe.