I was totally inspired by a story from Matthew 17 the other day. Here’s the rundown: a man came to Jesus and asked Him to deliver his son who was afflicted with a demon. The father said that he had brought the boy to Christ’s disciples, but they couldn’t help. Jesus replied, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?” Then Jesus cast out the demon. Here’s the thing . . .Jesus had given the disciples power to heal, to cast out demons, but their unbelief limited what God could do through them.
We underestimate the importance of faith, don’t we? Hebrews 11:6 says that it’s impossible to please God without it, and the verse specifically goes on to say that God rewards faith. So if faith is the key that unlocks the miraculous, then it’s pretty vital that I learn to really trust God, right? How do we do that? Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” I have discovered in my own life that the more of God’s Word that I read—I mean, really read . . .with my eyes peeled and heart open—the more the impossible seems possible. And Jesus went on to say in Matthew 17, fasting is pretty important, too, when it comes to starving unbelief.
Honestly, I am not interested in living an average Christian life where I go to church a couple of times per week and stay in a bubble. Jesus told us to Go in His authority and change the world, and He promised to go with us. It sounds like a pretty cool adventure to me: partnering with God, using His resources to see lives changed for the Kingdom. That’s the assignment that was given to the disciples and now to us. I don’t want to be a “faithless and perverse generation” that is unable to complete our mission. Nope, let’s read God’s Word, listen to the Voice of Holy Spirit, and see breakthrough in the lives of those around us.