LACK OF FAITH - PART 1

MONDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2023

According to the book of Mark, when Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices to anoint Jesus' body, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were heavily alarmed. But He said to them, "Don't be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him." But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'"

Reference: Mark 16:14 New International Version (NIV) "Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen."

Before the above Scripture, when Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene. Then she went and told those disciples who had been with Him and were mourning and weeping. When they heard that Jesus was alive and that Mary Magdalene had seen Him, they did not believe it. Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. They returned and reported it to the rest; but they still did not believe them either. Later, Jesus appeared to the eleven followers while they were eating and criticized them because they had so little faith. They were too stubborn to believe everyone who said that Jesus had risen from death, even though Jesus Himself equipped them with the knowledge of His resurrection, ahead of time.

Receiving a good news is quite uplifting. How come they received such news that Jesus had risen and still doubted? Here is the reason: Firstly, they were swallowed up in a mire of misery and hopelessness. That's why they were mourning and weeping for the Lord incessantly. Secondly, they agonised in a sense of powerlessness and limitation, just tolerating what had happened to Jesus as irredeemable, because they probably settled in their mind that the reality of His death would never be changed. Thirdly, they were feeling depressed as human beings, and so, their minds were scattered all over the place, instead of believing in and focusing on what Jesus told them regarding His resurrection.

Beloved, the unfailing message of salvation comes with faith and gives eternal life, yet many people are unconsciously waiting to be persuaded by a clear evidence before they believe God, especially if their assimilation of negative experiences seem to be prevailing over their ability to be receptive to the things of the Spirit. In the case of the doubtful disciples, their conscious and unconscious readiness to sustain a lack of trust in God moved them to doubt the Lord, because they didn't allow the words He shared with them before his death to be sufficiently grounded within their inner being, let alone shedding any light on the roots of their understanding. Under such condition, negative responses to the testimony of those who delivered the good news to them were quickly expressed by those disciples, which denotes their lack of faith, rather than briskly accepting the insight into the real truth - Christ's permanent victory over sin and death. Got it?

Today, when the Word of God is delivered to us, instead of affirming it as true and exercising strong faith in its dictates to the point of experiencing the reality, some of us go searching for help and evidence in every other place, while faith in the Word is the evidence of things hoped for. But you don't have to go too far to swallow a Golden news daily devotional that can build your faith up and position you to be decisive in your heart that the Word will come through for you, just as it's been delivered. Accurate insight into the realities of the kingdom is key. If you want your mind to "click" with an understanding of the Word as it pertains directly to you, then give quality time to "cogitating on it" with ardent alacrity.

Here is the problem: Oftentimes many Christians submit to lack of faith, which in turn, inhibits the process of their miraculous manifestation as they remain doubtful. Stay tuned for part 2. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Proverbs 3:5-6; Matthew 21:21-22; Mark 9:23-24; Hebrews 11:6.

Guided Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, let it always be unto me, according to your Word, in Jesus' Name, Amen!