Lord, help my unbelief

New Guest: Like this one, most posts are devotional; those related to CAR BIZ can be found by searching for that title. You might start with 'Welcome,' the first post, dated November 12, 2008, in the archives, where I introduce myself and the blog.

Friday, August 7, 2009
Devotions: Ps 88, 91, 92; 2 Sam 12:1-14; Acts 19:21-41; Mk 9:14-29

Lord, hear my cry. My soul languishes; I am sad and discouraged. And I even feel guilty about feeling sad. You are Master. I’m ignored by those who used to admire me, scorned by those I have helped in times past. I can’t escape—You are the Limit for me, Lord; I have no one else, nowhere else to turn. My companions are darkness, anger, and despair. Yet Your word says: Because I have made YHWH my Refuge, no evil shall befall me, nor scourge come near my abode. God assures me of His love and presence; ‘I will be with him in trouble and rescue and honor him’ Amen, Lord—let it be so! God has made me, and God will make me glad; let me reflect on God’s great works and excellent character, not on my own daily grind or my unstable emotions. God, Your enemies perish, and Your people prosper. Plant me in Your arbor, and let me be green and fruitful in my age; there is no unrighteousness in my God.

God sent Nathan to confront David about Bathsheba and Uriah. The prophet began with the story of a rich man and poor man; the rich man slaughters the poor man’s one pet ewe rather than one of his own great flock. David was enraged by the injustice, and said, ‘As YHWH lives, the man who did this should die! He shall restore the ewe four times over!’ Nathan replied, ‘You are the man! God says, “I anointed you Israel’s king; I gave your master’s house and wives to you, and the lands of Judah and Israel. If all this weren’t enough, I’d have given you more. Yet you despise Me and My word by murdering Uriah and stealing his wife. So the sword will plague your household forever, and I will raise up evil and rebellion against you within your own family; I will give your wives to your neighbor, in open view. What you did in secret to others, I will do to you in the open.”’ David said, ‘I have sinned against YHWH!’ Nathan replied, ‘And God has put away your sin; you won’t die for this, but because you have utterly scorned God, the son born of this adultery will die.’ And Nathan went home.

God blessed Paul’s ministry in Ephesus. Then the Spirit led Paul through Macedonia and Achaia toward Jerusalem. For a time, he stayed for a while in the province of Asia. Meanwhile, in Ephesus, a silversmith named Demetrius stirred up public outrage against the Christians. He claimed that the gospel was causing a severe loss of business among the idol-purveyors. Even the Ephesian temple of Artemis was deposed, he claimed, ‘she whom all Asia and the world worship!’ Hearing this inflamed the mob against Paul; they dragged Gaius and Aristarchus into the theater—Macedonians among Paul’s traveling companions. Paul intended to confront the crowd, but his friends prevailed upon him not to take this risk. A Jew named Alexander tried to make a defense, but the mob shouted him down. Eventually, the Ephesian town clerk admonished the mob: ‘Men of Ephesus—everyone knows that our city keeps the temple of Artemis and the great sky-stone within it! No one can doubt this. So you should not act rashly. These men you have abducted are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess. If Demetrius and the other craftsmen have a complaint, let them bring it before the proconsuls. If we act disorderly, we face Roman discipline; there is no excuse for this commotion!’ With this, he successfully dismissed the assembly.

When Jesus returned from the mount of His transfiguration, with Peter, James and John, they encountered a great crowd gathered around the other disciples, and some scribes were disputing with them. One of the crowd addressed himself to Jesus: ‘Teacher, I brought my son to you. He is possessed by a dumb spirit; it dashes him to the ground; he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked Your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.’ Jesus answered, ‘O faithless generation! How long am I to bear with you? Bring the boy to Me.’ As the boy was presented, the spirit convulsed him; he fell to the ground and writhed, foaming at the mouth. Jesus asked his father, ‘How long has he had this?’ ‘From childhood,’ was the answer. ‘It has often cast him into the fire or water to destroy him. If You can, have pity and help us.’ Jesus answered, “’IF you can, indeed! All things are possible to him who believes.’ The father cried out, ‘I believe! Help my unbelief.’ Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and it obeyed. The boy looked dead, but Jesus took his hand, lifted him up, and the boy arose. When they were in private, the disciples asked Jesus why they could not cast out this demon; He said, ‘This kind cannot be driven out except by prayer.’