What do you mean, ‘If I can’?

Mark 9: 14-29 NLT

If you are anything like me you read that with a little attitude and puff on self. But what if that was Jesus asking you that, this very moment. How would you receive it? In what situation in your life would he be talking about?

Im a big advocate of words. Proverbs 18: 21NLT says “The tongue can bring death or life;
those who love to talk will reap the consequences.” the NIV translation says it this way “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

In this story we see a father in distress with a son suffering for many years. This father came to the disciples in hopes that they could help him. Yes I said hope. why hope and not faith? I want us to look at verse 22 “The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, IF YOU CAN.” You see that last three words I capitalized. There is questioning on his words. Meaning he is not sure. Granted this could have been cause after he saw the disciples could not get rid of the demon.

Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for something to happen. Where Faith is a strong belief in something without proof. Hoping don’t require work. (topic for a different blog post lol)

On verse 23 Jesus asked “ What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” I want to point out that Jesus never rebukes the dad of this boy for questioning his ability. ( We are talking about God here how can He not? But notice the posture of humbleness that come from Jesus.) he simply instructs. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”

We do see the word “believe ” there right? As long as we believe that God can, He can!

Are you coming into agreement with Gods character and the qualities distinctive of God. Or are you being lead by your emotions and what you can see in the physical? Jesus dint need this man to puff him up to do the miracle. Jesus shows us over and over that He knows exactly who He is and nothing can shake that. Prime example of that we see in in Matthew 4 were the devil come to tempt Jesu. In all 3 temptation the devil try to aim at who he is.

Knowing who God is not only give us security on Him and what He is capable of doing in us, thrue us and for us. But it give us an understanding of who we are and who's we are! Why ? Because you are a daughter/ son of the most high king and all his distinctive qualities.

That is you father!

This is Your provider!

This is Your confident!

This is Your protector!

This is Your defender!

And lest be honest we can be here for hours if we keep going. Why is this important? Hold on let keep going.

Right after in verse 24 says “The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”. Lest define some words her starting wit believe.

Believe is accept something as true; feel sure of the truth of.

Unbelieve to no longer believe something, to disbelieve, or to reject a belief. (Synonyms disbelieve, question, reject, doubt, mistrust, and skeptic)

We are all gonna face “unbelief’ at one point or another and I think we need to be more like this father. Sometime we are more afraid of what people will say if we admit that we have ”unbelief” than choosing to be honest and allowing God to heal that in us.

Hear me out in our heads we know the “right ” answer, the “christian answer” but even if we question it or we come in agreement with the questioning we have open the door to unbelief to creep in. And y'all we know who is behind that right?! I don't think that as follower of Jesus that truly know and understand WHO He is, can truly have unbelief but when we don't know who He is (and y'all we can solve that by having quiet time with Jesus DAILY...this topic is a forever rant that we will discuss in a different blog post. ) we open the door of doubt to the enemy. And to top it all of we start having conversation with the enemy in ours heads. As if he can hear us... Yall know he cant right. Not if you talk in your head. The devil can place thought in our heads but he is NOT equal to God. He cant hear our thoughts. The only way the enemy can hear you is when you use your word out loud...Proverbs 18:21 anyone? There is power in the word y'all!

So when we are actually truthful and we come to God like this father saying, I do believe but if it so happen that I may have disbelief, questions, rejection, doubt, mistrust or skeptic help me OVERCOME it. Yall this is powerful! If we don't bring it to God how is he gonna fix it. “What we don't fix gets magnify.

By this father been open it allowed to bring solution/ healing to this “unbelief”. When we don't bring it to God is only gonna grow and it can cause us to walk away from God. And fall into sin.

Let’s get real — it’s time to stop dancing around our doubt and pretending like we’re okay. Jesus is still asking, “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” The question isn’t about His power. It’s about our posture.

Will you believe?

Will you speak in agreement with Heaven instead of your fear?

Will you trust the character of your Father more than the chaos around you?

The father in Mark 9 didn’t receive a miracle because he had perfect faith — he received one because he was honest and surrendered what little faith he had.

You can do the same. So stop letting unbelief fester in silence. Bring it to Jesus. Confess it. Confront it. And watch Him help you overcome it.

Because the same Jesus who answered this desperate father is the same Jesus standing with you today — ready, willing, and able.

He can. He will. Let’s believe.

Love Lilly