If Thou Canst Believe, All Things Are Possible

Mark 9:23-29, a parable of Jesus healing bookended with two encouraging and helpful thoughts for each of us,

"Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.  And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.  When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.  And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.  But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.  And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?  And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting."

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is clearly a great and powerful blessing for each of us that will believe enough to make the effort to learn about faith, and then through prayer and fasting, exercise faith.  I believe we develop powerful faith in Christ in a way similar to exercising our muscles.  Consistent repetition of the basics.

A second illustration occurs two chapters later in Mark 11:20-25,

"And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.  And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.  And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.  For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.  And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."

What I marvel at here is that there truly are no limits to what the power of faith in Christ can do.  But it is not automatic.  Belief, nothing wavering, is required ... no small task.  Prayer, fasting, forgiving are needed as well.

Sounds like the worthy pursuit of a lifetime to me ... one consistent step at a time.  Thanks and praise be to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!