I believe, BUT...

 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief." 

Mark 9:24

I wish I could tell you that I was a person of unshakeable faith. I wish I could tell you that I have never doubted God. I wish I could tell you that I never flinched when problems greeted me. I wish that I could tell you that I had the faith of David when he faced Goliath, or the faith of Hannah who believed despite of  her circumstances. But... I have to be honest and tell you that there have been days and times when God has spoken and I said nope; I need evidence before I can believe that. I need some proof before I make a move. I wish I could explain to you the number of times God has spoken in my life and I've said, "naw God, there's no way that you can do that, not for me, not now."  I've even said God give me a sign. Show me that this is you. I've been like the man who's son was demon possessed in the passage today and said, I believe, BUT... 

One of my biggest pet peeves is people not believing what I say. I feel that when I tell people something and they don't believe me, that essentially, they are calling me a liar. And that grinds my gears. I am very sure this is an internal issue that needs some outward addressing, but this is a transparent moment, so just pray for me. Many times, I've told people things and they've concluded that they did not believe me for one reason or another and I have been infuriated by their lack of belief. Think of how God feels when we do this to Him - the all knowing, omnipresent, omnipotent GOD! 

But then again, when you think about others' lives, experiences, or their world views, maybe they just have a hard time believing because of what they've gone through. Listen, have you lived through 2020 and the first quarter of 2021? Then you know that there have been some heart wrenching things happening that have probably wrecked the faith of many. I mean - a global pandemic just to name one! 

Doubting Thomas was the outright expression of unbelief. When Thomas was told by the disciples that they had seen Jesus, Thomas blatantly stated,  (John 20:25) "unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were and put my hand in his side, I will not believe." 

Thomas was a whole mood. No! No! No! and No! I won't believe unless I see. You know what happened next? A week later,  (John 20: 26-27) Jesus showed up  and said first, "Peace be with you", and then turned to Thomas and said "put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Stop doubting and believe."

There are a few things that grabbed my attention about Jesus' appearance to the disciples a week later. 1) He came in peace. He knew they doubted, yes I said "they" but he showed up with peace and love. Thomas gets a bad rep, but have you read Luke 24:11? When the women told the disciples that Jesus was risen, "they did not believe the women, because their words seemed like nonsense." They all had doubts! 2) He gave Thomas the evidence he needed. He did not cast him aside; he invited him to see the proof. He allowed him to touch, see, and THEN believe. I think of Kirk Franklin’s song, Let Me Touch You and See That You are Real. 3) Unlike me, Jesus wasn't infuriated with Thomas' doubting and unbelief. He didn't get an attitude. He simply met him and the other disciples where they were. He realized that faith sometimes takes baby steps. Moving from unbelief to belief is a process. 

There are a plethora of reasons for a person's unbelief. Our past life experiences often shape our current belief systems. Think about the man at the pool of Bethesda. He'd been there paralyzed for 38 years. The lady with the issue of blood, bled for 12 years; the man whose child was possessed by a demon dealt with his demon-possessed son since his childhood. 

Time is one of the biggest contradictions and hinderances to faith. If you've been in a situation longer than you’ve planned, you often think there is no help in sight, no end, no solution. But did you know that Jesus specializes in dismantling unbelief and defying time constraints? When Lazarus died, Jesus took his time (Lazarus was dead for four days), getting to them so that they would believe. John 11:15, Jesus states, "and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." And by the way, just to give Thomas a little more credit, he then said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." Thomas was loyal and faithful. 

We serve a God who knows us and yet He still loves us. He knows our doubts, our fears, our levels of faith and unbelief. Those of us who are strong in the faith, should welcome the weak in faith. Today take some time to sit with yourself. What is your but? What’s hindering your belief? Where are the cracks of your unbelief? What issues or problems are still lingering in your life that make you doubt God? It's a good day to give God your unbelief. He knows anyway. He's waiting for you with open arms. Don't forget to live in the RED. You are loved, forgiven and covered in the blood. 

#Loved

#Forgiven

#CoveredInTheBlood 

#BelievingBeyondBut