Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens. —J.R.R. Tolkien
Through Sarah and Abraham, we have learned a lot about biblical belief. Belief in God is:
- Confidence in a powerful person
- Comfort in the midst of pain
- Candid about problems
- Consistent in progress
- Culminating in praise
- Convinced of God’s promises
- Courageous in process
These things are the skeleton of belief. In the months ahead, we will be putting meat and muscle on that skeleton. Yes, we believe… but what exactly do we believe in? And do we really believe, or is our belief tainted and incomplete? What do we do when the road darkens and all we can see are shadows and no light?
In Mark 9:24, we find one of the most honest prayers in the whole Bible. A man has come to Jesus with a son who is possessed by a violent evil spirit. The man desperately asks if Jesus is able to help him. Jesus tells him, “All things are possible to him who believes.” Perhaps our most honest responses to God at this point are the same words that the father of the demonized child exclaimed to Jesus:
Lord, I do believe. Help my unbelief. Amen.