My title for this devotion is If vs I Can.

Like many people I have favorite passages of Scripture. Psalm 37:1-7.    Jeremiah 1: 18-19.  Isaiah 40: 28-31.  Romans 8.  To name a few. And I’m sure you have yours. During the life of Jesus, one of my favorites is found in Mark 9: 14-29.  I encourage you to stop right now and read that passage but just in case you are pressed for time, I’ll capsulize it for you. It’s the story of Jesus and his encounter with the man whose son is possessed. It immediately falls after The Transfiguration. Both stories are also found in Matthew 17. The part of the story that stops me each time is where the man says to Jesus, “But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” (verse 22) Notice the desperation in this man’s plea to Jesus.  But Jesus looks at him and says, “What do you mean if? All things are possible to those who believe.” (verse 23)  The father then says, “I believe. Help my unbelief.”

I have probably already written about this issue over the past year but it bears repeating. I liken it to the father saying, “Jesus. I have faith that measures a ‘3’. Please make it a ’10’.” The father-in my mind-was basically saying his faith was incomplete and is asking Jesus to make it fuller and richer.

Who of us has not been there? Who of us doesn’t continues to struggle with our faith? I confess. We want to believe; we want our faith to be fuller and richer; we want to knock it out of the park with our faith; but we can’t. We falter. We doubt. But God says, “Bring what you have and trust me. I will help your faith grow.”

“Father, increase my faith. Make it stronger, richer, firmer and more expansive.”

Now let me ask you: where is your faith at these days?