Believing Is Hard - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Believing Is Hard

- Now Think On This

by Steve Martin

"Immediately the boy's father cried out and said, "I do believe; help my unbelief."

Mark 9:24 NASU

Believing is hard. Having trust that the Lord is going to do what the Lord has said He was going to do, or what today He is saying He will do, is hard at times. Is that true with you? It can be for me.

But just think – weren’t the apostles, the chosen ones who had walked with Jesus for three years right here on earth, yet very doubtful and afraid after Jesus was crucified? They couldn’t, or wouldn’t, believe all that He had told them, about His coming back to life after death, did they?  As it is written in Mark 16:14, “Afterward He appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at the table; and He reproached them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who had seen Him after He had risen.” NASU

And even later still, just before He ascended, again we read, “But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.” Matt. 28:16,17 NASU

Some of them had even gone back to their previous jobs, not believing what He had told them directly while with them. Peter, the one who seemed to proclaim the most faith often when walking with Jesus at his side, went back to fishing almost immediately after the crucifixion.

Reading in John 21:1-14, “After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will also come with you." They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing.

But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. So Jesus said to them, "Children, you do not have any fish, do you?" They answered Him, "No." And He said to them, " Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch." So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord." So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish.

So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have now caught."  Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn.” NAS

David had to seek the Lord’s face often. Scripture lets us see his uncertainty in faith, when he questioned the Lord, needing help for his troubled soul:

“Why do You stand afar off, O Lord?

Why do You hideYourself in times of trouble?

In pride the wicked hotly pursue the afflicted;

Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.” Psalm 10:1-2 NASU

Everybody has their times of doubt and moments of unbelief. Even when I was on staff with a minister who had the gift of healing and miracles, I know he had times when he questioned the Lord’s ability to act or move in a situation.

Each of us wants to have bold faith. We want to believe all that the Lord has spoken, and be a strong Christian, not only for others but for ourselves. We want to experience those situations when the Lord has told us to believe, and we do just that.

But even as the Lord encouraged the apostles each time after their times of unbelief and wavering, He will also have mercy on us, knowing our human frailty and difficulties we endure. That is one reason He has told us to call upon the Holy Spirit, to help us as the Comforter, and the One who will get us through those faith testing times.

It is good to look back months and years later, and see how the Lord has strengthened our faith. It is good to know that even though believing is hard at times, once we have passed through those times, our faith has been exercised and we have grown because of it.

We will be able to believe for even more next time we are called upon to believe.

Steve Martin

Founder

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Now Think On This #177 “Believing Is Hard” by Steve Martin 

Date: In the year of our Lord 2015 (09.03.15) Thursday at 6:30 pm in Charlotte, NC

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This