FAITH CAPSULE: Every time there is a failure in living up to the expectation invested in us, humiliation will have its way.
Mark 9:14-29
It is not enough to follow Jesus if He does not operate in you. Many are only followers but having Jesus operate in their life is a different ball game. It will make a big difference in the world today if all who claim to be His followers actually represent Him in every area of life. The disciples followed Him a lot and yet they failed to deliver a boy who had a mute spirit. When Jesus came to the disciples, “He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.” (Mark 9:14) The issue of the dispute was a failure on the part of His disciples who failed to perform as Jesus did. Every time there is a failure in living up to the expectation invested in us, humiliation will have its way. Jesus wanted to find out the cause for the dispute, when He got the following response, “Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” (Mark 9:17-18) The disciples had failed to deliver what had already been deposited in them. They could not demonstrate the power of Jesus in their life. Jesus responded to the father of the boy when He declared, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me.” (Mark 9:19) Lack of faith or inadequate faith was the culprit to the disciples at that time. It is true in The Word that faith comes by hearing and hearing The Word of God. As a result, it will be safe to say “O Word less generation” One thing is clear in this wicked world of darkness, the amount of The Word of God that you have deposited in you, will determine how you navigate through this world. Are you spending enough time in The Word to avoid being called word-less or faithless? The disciples approached Jesus in privacy in order to find out the reason for their failure in casting out the mute spirit. Mark 9:31, “He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing out prayer and fasting.” As a follower how is your prayer and fasting life? Do you have a schedule for praying and fasting in sacrifice to God? Does your prayer and fasting only come when challenges present it self? Jesus did not wait for challenges before He withdrew himself to the mountains to spend time in praying and fasting. Follow Jesus in all and you too will operate just like He did.
Prayer for today: Take my days and my moments and let it be concentrated unto you O Lord.