Hard Times - Mark 9:24

Mark 9:24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (NIV)

            I call it ‘spiritual paralysis,’ and it usually occurs when people are overwhelmed with unrelenting worries or deep concerns about their family and loved ones. Sometimes it happens because of a serious illness or a long-term addiction; at other times it’s caused through career failures, broken relationships, or financial stress. Whatever the circumstances, the issue or crisis is so devastating that prayers are hard to say, faith is difficult to maintain, and belief in God is almost unsustainable.  People feel forsaken by the Lord and drained of their hope. Their spirits become depressed and the ability to voice their concerns to God is badly damaged. During those moments, the prayers, support, and love of the faith community are crucial.

            When Jesus dealt with the man whose son was gravely ill, He encountered this spiritual paralysis (Mark 9:14-29). The father was so overwhelmed with the boy’s illness that he doubted Christ’s ability to cure his beloved child. It was a painful moment for the man because he wanted so much to believe that his son could be healed, but his fears diminished his faith and crushed his confidence in God. His anxiety overwhelmed him and he agonized over his unbelief.

            Jesus could have walked away and left the boy unhealed. He could have blamed it all on the father and abandoned him at the time of his greatest need. Instead, Christ compassionately confronted the spiritual paralysis, the debilitating illness, and the overwhelming circumstances. Jesus restored the boy to his father, as well as his faith in God.

            Perhaps you are going through a time of spiritual paralysis or unrelenting worry. Maybe your reliance on God is wavering and your faith is weak. Whatever is at the heart of your turmoil, please know this: God still loves you and with Christ’s help, you can be repaired and restored through grace and love. You are not alone nor abandoned; you are totally loved and embraced by Jesus.

Point to ponder

What are my main worries and deepest concerns? Am I able to voice them to God? Am I willing to hand them over to Christ?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we believe; help us overcome our unbelief. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come along and join us for worship on Sundays at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is of a Blue Christmas candle which is traditionally lit for folks who find this time of year difficult. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Candle.

Daily Devotional - Massacre in Orlando - Galatians 3:28

Galatians 3:28            There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

            This weekend’s massacre at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida has sickened, angered, and depressed millions of people across our nation and the world. It’s unbelievable that someone would be so wicked in attacking a vulnerable, defenseless community. It’s inconceivable that one person could inflict such devastation within a short period of time. Sadly, massacres like this are nothing new in the history of the United States. They are all about targeting and murdering a specific group of people whose ideas, culture, and lifestyles differ from the shooters.

On April 12^th, 1864, hundreds of African American Union soldiers were shot, bayoneted or bludgeoned to death by Confederate troops at Fort Pillow in Tennessee. Despite surrendering, they were targeted and murdered simply because they were black. Such an appalling massacre would be called a war crime today.

            On December 29^th, 1890 at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota,  more than 150 men, women, and children were massacred by the 7^th Calvary and 51 were wounded (4 men and 47 women and children, some of whom died later); some estimates placed the number of dead at 300. They died because they were Lakota Sioux. Twenty soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor for the horrendous massacre. In 2001, the National Congress of American Indians passed two resolutions condemning the Medals of Honor awards and called on the U.S. government to rescind them. It still hasn’t been done.

            And now, on June 12^th, 2016, 49 people were ruthlessly murdered and 53 others wounded in a massacre at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, perpetrated by one evil man. The victims were wickedly killed simply because they were gay. Like those massacred at Fort Pillow and Wounded Knee, they were cruelly murdered for being part of their own unique community.

            Hatred and prejudice, xenophobia and an unhealthy obsession with automatic weapons, all play their part in these inhumane attacks and murderous massacres. Until we fully address these issues, people who are different culturally and ethnically will remain vulnerable, even in their own communities which should be havens of safety and security.

            Our churches will pray for the victims, their families, their friends, and their communities, and ask God for healing, support, and comfort in the midst of all the pain. However, we also need to pray for common sense to prevail against an obsessive and sinful culture concerning weapons. We also need to be proactive in reaching across our diverse communities in order to unite against the common foes of ignorance, prejudice, and hatred. At Erin Presbyterian Church, we try to epitomize this through applying our vision statement:

Unified in Christ, we actively seek to create harmony in a diverse community through compassion, mutual respect, and love.

Prayer:            May Christ bring us together as one. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to write to him, please send an email to Traqair@aol.com.


(Today's devotion is now available as an audio podcast http://podpoint.com/erin-presbyterian-church-podcast/massacre)