My Daily Bible Reading
Today’s Reading is from:
Scripture
20 Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.
21 So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”
And he said, “From childhood. 22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”
23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” 26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”
29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”
30 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. (Mark 9:20-30, New King James Version)
Observation:
This part of the passage of Mark 9:20-30 (NKJV) really stood out at me, “28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”.
Oswald Chambers shared in today’s devotions, ”We can remain powerless foreverm as the disciplies were in the situation, by trying to do God’s work without concentrating on His power, and by following instead the ideas that we draw from our own nature. We actually slander and dishonor God by our very eagerness to sever Him without knowing Him. ~Oswald Chambers, Upmost for His Highest devotional.”
How many times do we jump headlong into a project under the banner we are doing it for Him, when truthfully, it’s more for us or the power that is behind it then for Him?
As I read the passage and the devotional and reflected on the disciple’s dilemna, it was just a powerful reminder of how we must always seek all things in prayer and contemplation with Him, seek Him in His word and knowing our bibles and not just for rote but for heart. It’s so easy to get caught up in doing everything for Him, only to find that maybe things didn’t work out (and not to say things will always work out or be prosperous), but we have forgotten Him in the process.
It’s so easy to say “Yes” to doing things, but if it find we have no time really, to spend with Him and His word, are we really doing this for Him? Because sometimes, doing thing for Him, also means telling the world,”No” so you have the time first to spend with our Father in Heaven and in His word.
“…. by following instead the ideas that we draw from our own nature. We actually slander and dishonor God by our very eagerness to seve Him without knowing Him.” (Oswald Chambers, Upmost for His Highest). That is a scary and discouraging thought isn’t it?
We get so caught up with our own nature and ideas and this is the way to do it and hey let’s try doing this as well that in the process it can become a form of ego boosting or self worship and less about looking and lifting up and glorifying our Father.
It’s a thin line…it is a thin line.
Prayer helps because it serves as a mental bumper in our lives to slow us down, focus…what are we really wanting and is it to His glory and then….wait. Let Him answer…try not to guess or assume or think, this is what His answer is.
When He answers, it tends to be pretty clear but if it happens slow, don’t assume He’s not listening, just maybe the timing isn’t right or it’s not meant to be and He is giving us time to think….do we really know what we are praying about or for?
When we are ready in heart, and we know it, He’ll let us know what His answer is and sometimes it maybe on a whole different track that we didn’t expect or want or thought of .
To all give the Glory to God…for He is above all and a loving Father who also knows us better than we know ourselves.
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