Title
Lord I Believe . . .
Scripture
But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.”
(Luke 8:50)
Devotional
When I read this text I am like the father with the demon-possessed son in Mark 9 when he said, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”(1) Each and every one of us will have trials and troubles throughout this life. We will be tested by it. Fears and doubts have a way of permeating our very beings. Yet, it is in these times that the Lord Jesus Christ says, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”
Of what are we not to fear and what are we to believe? In this particular text, the father was apparently not to fear for his daughter’s death and to believe that Christ could and would heal her. This may not always be the case. We may be called not to fear through a hard time or to believe that God remains in control even when our prayers are not answered the way we wish them to be. No matter what the result of our petition, let us hear Christ say, “Do not be afraid, only believe.”
(4) Mark 9:24
Thought For The Night
“I am disturbed when I hear believers say ‘Lord’ thoughtlessly. Many Christians are guilty of making Christ only a figurehead while continuing to run their lives just as they did before. It may be possible to fake the lordship of Christ now, but in the days when Paul wrote the letter to Romans, ‘Lord’ was not a word used flippantly by the church.” Calvin Miller in The Taste of Joy. Christianity Today
Evening Text
Luke 8:50: But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, “Do not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.”
Looking for Answers
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When God commands us to believe, are we able to do so?
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What does it mean to believe in God?
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To what level do you believe?
Evening Study Guide
Defining: “Believe”: To be persuaded of and to place your confidence in.
Referencing: “When He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord,’” Matthew 9:28.
Applying: Simply believe and when you have a hard time doing so, pray, “Lord I believe, help my unbelief,” Mark 9:24.