Spiritual Insight

Mark 9:24b “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

This is the response of a very troubled father who had brought his ailing son to Jesus. The boy was often convulsed and thrown to the ground, endangering him. No one had been able to help him. The father was desperate for a healing and at the same time fearful that no one could heal his son. He had evidently heard about Jesus and His healings, so with, I imagine, great trepidation he came to Jesus for what would likely be his last chance for his son. And, of course, he had come to the right person in all the world who could actually help his son – and He did!

It is worth noting that the problem was a demon possessing the boy and that Jesus cast the demon out. Yet another Biblical portrayal of the evil side of the spiritual world that exists in and around our physical world. Of a reality that we dismiss as fantasy, allegory or hyperbole. The spiritual world is Very real and we dismiss it at our Very great peril.

Yet it is difficult to grasp a reality that we cannot perceive with our five senses. That makes the father’s plea very perceptive, very important and very profound! We need help, help only available from God, to become spiritually aware and alert so that we can both perceive spiritual forces and respond/deal with them. We need to respond positively to God who can fend off demonic forces! Our lives depend on this awareness!

Dave L.