Mark Reading Plan – W9D2
Week 9 | Day 2 | Mark 9:14-29
Check out all the previous readings here.
Pray
Thank God for something in your life and ask Him to speak to you through your reading and reflection today.
Bible Reading (read these verses three times slowly)
When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
“What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
“You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”
Reflection & Questions
It’s perhaps one of the most honest confessions in the Bible. A dad has been desperately struggling to help his boy for years. Bringing his son to Jesus, he’s wondering if just maybe He could help. When Jesus tells him everything is possible for those that believe, the dad exclaims: “I believe, help my unbelief”.
Perhaps that’s something you could say to Jesus right now? Maybe you’re dealing with unfixable things; things that are “not how they should be.” You believe the promises of God, but as you encounter the valley of the shadow of death, doubt, fear, and pain have flooded in and left you saying: “I believe, help my unbelief.”
That’s exactly where the disciples are finding themselves, too. They’ve left everything to follow this man named Jesus thinking that meant Jesus would establish his kingdom here and now. But Jesus now says that He must suffer and die. You can almost hear the disciples say… ”What? We’ve left everything to follow you. And you’re going to suffer and die? What kind of plan is that? We believe, but you got to help our unbelief.”
The answer to unbelief? Keep hanging with Jesus. Keep listening. And he will help our unbelief!
- What’s a situation you’re facing that you could say to Jesus, “I believe, help my unbelief”?
- How can you walk with confidence in following Jesus today?
Pray
Talk to God about your “unbelief”. Ask Him to help you with it and to give you faith to walk with confidence.
Worship Song
You could use this worship song to worship your Good Father today.
Bible Reading
When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
“What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
“You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”
Reflection and Questions
What we just read is one of the most honest confessions that we see anyone make in the Bible. A dad has been struggling to help his boy for years. Bringing his son to Jesus, he’s wondering if just maybe He could help. When Jesus tells him everything is possible for those that believe, the dad yells out: “I believe, help my unbelief”.
Have you ever said that to Jesus? Have you ever dealt with things that were “not how they should be.”? And you trust God, but you sometimes have doubts, or fears, or have a hard time figuring out what to do next? That’s where we just sometimes have to say “God, help me out here!”
That’s also what the disciples were thinking of themselves. They’ve left everything to follow this man named Jesus, but now Jesus says that He has to suffer and die. You can almost hear the disciples say… ”What? We’ve left everything to follow you. And you’re going to suffer and die? What kind of plan is that? We believe, but you got to help our unbelief.”
The answer to unbelief? Keep hanging out with Jesus. Keep listening. And He will help our unbelief!
- What does it mean to be confident in Jesus?
Prayer
Pray and thank God for always being there with us, even when we have a hard time trusting and believing!
Bible Reading
When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
“What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
“You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
“‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”
Devo Focus
“If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” Vs. 23
Devo
When’s the last time you really, truly believed in someone or something? It’s not an easy thing to do: people and things often fail us. But in today’s reading we find out that there is One who deserves our full belief.
It’s perhaps one of the most honest confessions in the Bible. A dad has been desperately struggling to help his boy for years. Bringing his son to Jesus, he’s wondering if just maybe He could help. When Jesus tells him everything is possible for those that believe, the dad exclaims: “I believe, help my unbelief”.
Perhaps that’s something you could say to Jesus right now? Maybe you’re dealing with unfixable things; things that are “not how they should be.” You believe the promises of God, but as you encounter the valley of the shadow of death, doubt, fear, and pain have flooded in and left you saying: “I believe, help my unbelief.”
That’s exactly where the disciples are finding themselves, too. They’ve left everything to follow this man named Jesus thinking that meant Jesus would establish his kingdom here and now. But Jesus now says that He must suffer and die. You can almost hear the disciples say… ”What? We’ve left everything to follow you. And you’re going to suffer and die? What kind of plan is that? We believe, but you got to help our unbelief.”
The answer to unbelief? Keep hanging with Jesus. Keep listening. And he will help our unbelief!
- What’s a situation you’re facing that you could say to Jesus, “I believe, help my unbelief”?
- How can you walk with confidence in following Jesus today?
Prayer
Talk to God about your “unbelief”. Ask Him to help you with it and to give you faith to walk with confidence.
