Daily Thoughts about God

by Charles H. Spurgeon: updated to modern English by Dorothy Brown, 2008.

“If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes”
(Mark 9:23).

A certain man had a demoniac son, who was afflicted with a dumb spirit. The father, having seen the futility of the endeavors of the disciples to heal his child, had little or no faith in Christ, and therefore, when he was asked to bring his son to Him, he said to Jesus, “If You can do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.” Now there was an “if” in the question, but the poor trembling father had put the “if” in the wrong place: Jesus Christ, therefore, without commanding him to retract the “if”, kindly puts it in its legitimate position. “No, verily,” He seemed to say, “there should be no “if'” about My power, nor concerning My willingness, the ‘if’’ lies somewhere else. “If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes.” The man’s trust was strengthened, he offered a humble prayer for an increase of faith, and instantly Jesus spoke the word, and the devil was cast out, with an injunction never to return.

There is a lesson here which we need to learn. We, like this man, often see that there is an “if” somewhere, but we are perpetually blundering by putting it in the wrong place. “If” Jesus can help me–“if” He can give me grace to overcome temptation–“if” He can give me pardon–“if” He can make me successful? No, “if” you can believe, He both can and will. You have misplaced your “if“. “If” you can confidently trust, even as all things are possible to Christ, so shall all things be possible to you.

Faith stands in God’s power, and is robed in God’s majesty; it wears the royal apparel, and rides on the King’s horse, for it is the grace which the King delights to honor. Girding itself with the glorious might of the all-working Spirit, it becomes, in the omnipotence of God, mighty to do, to dare, and to suffer. All things, without limit, are possible to him that believes. My soul, can you believe your Lord tonight?

Question: Do you believe God can do all things? Where have you placed your “if” in regards to God’s ability to make you successful or forgive your sins?

You can comment on this devotional online at:
https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2012/06/13/cs_if-you-can-believe/

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by Marilyn Ehle

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

“Komm mit uns.” In their most basic translation from German to English, those three words simply mean, “Come with us.” Yet the words took on horrifying reality when spoken to Dietrich Bonhoeffer and other prisoners of the Nazi regime. Author Eric Metaxas quotes one of Bonhoeffer’s fellow prisoners when he writes, “Those words ‘Come with us’—for all prisoners they had come to mean one thing only—the scaffold.”*

Knowing what lay ahead could have produced abject fear and mental collapse in this man who longed to continue working toward purity in the church, discipleship in its leaders and—personally—marriage to his beloved Maria. But years later an observer of this man’s death wrote, “I have hardly ever seen a man die so entirely submissive to the will of God.”

After reading of Bonhoeffer’s life of growing faith and trust in God, as well as observing the lives of others who face the end of their lives with contentment, I am led to believe that even though they acknowledge pain, suffering—even betrayal—they do so with peace because they have at some earlier time responded to another invitation, this one from Jesus: “Come to me.”

The Apostle Paul, no stranger to the unpredictability and reversals of life and the certainty of death, triumphantly exclaims, ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’… thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

Jesus never promises life without trouble or death without pain, but He promises to walk with us through the narrow, dangerous, curves of life and then to lead us to heaven and into the presence of the Father. Daily submission to Jesus’ invitation to “come” helps prepare us for that final call.

(*Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy)

You can comment on this devotional online at:
https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2012/06/12/me_komm-mit-uns/
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If You Can Believe

Komm mit Uns

Daily Thoughts about God Posts

If You Can Believe

Komm mit Uns