Growing in Faith

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24b, NIV).

“I believe, Lord, but help me overcome what I have trouble believing you can handle. Help me to believe you will take care of everything. Help me to trust you more!” This is the cry of the heart of every believer. It reveals areas where faith is lacking, but it also reveals how faith has grown. “I believe” reveals my faith at this point in my life. “Help me overcome my unbelief” reveals my hunger for greater faith to believe even more. Think about it. As I grow closer to Him, I know Him more, and understand what His power means in my life. But at the same time I am more conscious that I fall short of complete trust in Him. This is the soul's growth. There is increased ability to believe, and then comes an obstacle that brings a need and a yearning plea for greater faith. This plea is a cry to let go of everything that hinders my ability to believe, and have complete trust in Him that He will overcome that obstacle.

When my heart cries out for Him to help my unbelief, He hears my cry, and answers my prayer with more faith. He also reveals where I still fall short in trusting Him. With that awareness and my surrender, He imparts the power to walk the path that leads, step by step, upwards and closer to Him. It is a journey where one moment I believe absolutely in Him, and then in the next moment I am faced with another obstacle to my faith. That obstacle spurs me onward again with a cry for more faith, and inspires me to surrender what I cannot overcome. He answers the cry of my heart and responds to my surrender once more with greater faith.

A life of faith moves upward one step at a time‒over each obstacle and each barrier. When facing each obstacle I continually surrender each problem with faith that He will take care of it. Each day I press on to discover His prize in the midst of each storm. His prize is the peace that passes all understanding. His prize is His power for each additional obstacle to come. His prize is His presence that never leaves or forsakes me. In this journey of life I find that my surrender of each obstacle to Him conquers my unbelief, and He rewards me with greater faith to believe He will not fail me.

“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” the writer to the Hebrews imparts, “ fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:2b-3a, NLT). Let's not give up. Let's keep our eyes on the Savior who can make our faith stronger. He meets us in each moment that we need to believe for His best. He meets each need as we surrender to His faithful care. In this race of life He helps us overcome each obstacle with greater faith. One day we will understand that this race to the finish has been worth all the obstacles that have spurred us on. We will know completely His unchanging faithfulness, and bask in His presence. We will believe.

-Lynn Lacher (Lynn's Daily Devotional)

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