JESUS IS THE ANSWER FOR UNWAVERING FAITH
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“When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” – Luke 18:8
Is our faith unshakable? Do we trust our Lord implicitly? Or do we waver in uncertainty and surrender to unbelief?
Throughout His ministry, Jesus encounters many levels of faith. The faith of the Jewish leaders is a faith in their own power and position more than a faith in Jehovah God. The faith of the people vacillates between cries of “Hosanna!” to cries of “Crucify Him!”
The faith of the disciples is at times weak. When Jesus calms the storm, they declare in amazement, “Who is this Man?” At other times their faith is strong… as when Thomas declares to the risen Christ, “My Lord and My God!”
One day, in Caesarea Philippi, Jesus meets upon a man who pleads for help for his son plagued by an evil spirit…
“If You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
“If You can! All things are possible for one who believes.”
“I believe; help my unbelief!” – Mark 9:22-24
Here is a man who desires great faith, unshakable faith, in the One who could heal his son. He longs to believe. Yet desperation and despair cloud his feeble faith.
“If You can!”, echoes Jesus. Does this man not believe that Jesus can heal? Has he not seen the multitudes that have been healed? Jesus teaches him a key lesson… all things are possible because nothing is too difficult for our Lord. If this man would only believe in Jesus and His power, his son would be made well.
When Jesus hears the man’s honest answer, He sees in him a spark of faith. The man’s belief, however hesitant, is enough for Jesus to act. With all power and authority, He rebukes the evil spirit and commands it to leave the boy and never return. Imagine the father’s joy at seeing his son at last set free. Any shred of unbelief in him must have vanished at the sight of such a miracle.
Another day, in Capernaum, Jesus encounters Jairus, a local synagogue leader, who falls at His feet, pleading…
“My little daughter is dying. Please come and put Your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” – Matthew 5:23
Jairus is overcome with fear and dread as his daughter’s life hangs in the balance. Although a Jew, the synagogue leader looks to Jesus in expectant faith for healing. As they walk to his home, news arrives that his daughter is dead. Jesus reassures Jairus with these words of hope…
“Do not be afraid; just believe.” – Mark 5:36
Jairus listens to Jesus and believes with a humble faith. Jesus performs the miraculous… raising the young girl to life. All who witness this miracle are astonished. Imagine the relief Jairus must have felt at his daughter’s return. His fear dissipates as faith takes hold.
How can we have unshakable faith? Daring confidence in our Lord who will never leave us? Radical belief that prevails in times of trouble, uncertainty, hopelessness, fear?
“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.” – Martin Luther
Jesus is the answer for unshakable faith. For He is the founder and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). He is the One who will always be with us. He is there in our desert wanderings… our raging waters… our fiery trials. We can never escape His loving presence and protection.
Faith is an attitude of absolute trust and confidence in Jesus. Our faith may ebb and flow. We may wander… we may stumble… we may hesitate… we may fear… we may despair. Yet we keep the spark of faith alive by daily renewing our trust in the sovereign Lord of our lives.
“He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” – Psalm 55:22
Jesus is the Rock upon whom we build our unshakable faith. As believers, we are His righteous ones. We look to Him and His mighty power instead of our lack. United with our omnipotent Lord, we stand firm… steadfast and immovable (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Jesus is the Shepherd of our souls. We can trust Him with our lives. He watches over us and helps us in our times of need. Because of His undying love for us, He calms our fears… eases our minds… and imparts to us His peace.
Jesus is our King. We trust absolutely in His sovereign rule… that all rests safely in His hands. We place our faith in His divine orchestration of our lives. For He wants only the best for us. He works all for the good of those of us who love Him (Romans 8:28).
Our faith grows as we exercise it… as we come to trust our Lord more consistently … more determinedly. When we encounter trials and setbacks, we persevere with a resolute belief in our Savior. For all things are possible with Him (Matthew 19:26). We need only believe in Jesus for unshakable faith.
