I Do Believe, Help My Unbelief
LENT 2022 | DAY 21
Matthew 17 (NIV)
(Stanley Loh, Zone 12 Core Team Member, Small Group Ministry)
READ:
Matthew 17:5-7, 20-23.
5While he [Peter] was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” 6When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.”
20He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” 22 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.
OBSERVE:
Chapter 17 contains 4 events – the transfiguration (v1-13), Jesus healing the demon possessed boy (v14-21), Jesus predicting his death the 2nd time (v22-23), and the temple tax (v24-27).
At the transfiguration, Peter offered to put up three shelters for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. God spoke and the disciples fell and were terrified.
Later in the chapter, Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy and the disciples asked Jesus in private, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”. We ought to know that there were previous experiences and the disciples did cast demons out before.
Finally, when Jesus again told them that the Son of Man would be killed and he would be raised to life, they were filled with grief.
Pastors Lillian and Benjamin spoke at the pulpit on the transfiguration the previous weekend.
In my devotion today, the reactions and emotions of the disciples were what caused me to stop and ponder. In the 3 years they had been with Jesus, they spent close and intimate time with the Lord and witnessed countless miracles. Yet they were terrified when God spoke, lacked faith to help the boy and grieved when they heard again that Jesus would be killed. Shouldn’t they have been in awe when they had that mountaintop moment where they heard God speak? Shouldn’t they have faith that grew from strength to strength as they walked with Jesus daily? And finally, shouldn’t they have rejoiced to know that Jesus’ resurrection brings hope and salvation to all mankind?
If I were one of the disciples, how would I have reacted? How would you have reacted?
APPLY:
I can imagine that the sinful nature of man must surely have made the disciples feel vulnerable, unworthy to meet God. It was also an overwhelming situation. Have you never felt nervous when you were meeting someone of importance and higher repute?
In my faith’s journey, which has its share of good days and not so good days, I had moments that I may not be proud of, where my faith does seem smaller than the mustard seed or when I doubt that Jesus’ death and resurrection has transformed me. Yet these are opportunities for significant circumstances.
Samuel 3:8-10 8 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realised that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
When God speaks with us, we must not let the voice of God be overlooked nor ignored. I must learn to slow down my pace, pause and recognise the voice of the Lord. Be like Samuel to say “Speak, for your servant is listening” and do as a believer and as a church, what the Lord wants us to do.
DO:
I want to be an intentional disciple. I want to commit on a closer walk with God, to be able to know and hear His voice. To be like Samuel to say “Speak, for your servant is listening” and do His will for me. While I may be terrified, I want to be in awe when the Lord speaks to me. I want to have faith that matters and can move mountains. Mark 9:24 – “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
PRAY:
Dear Lord, your grace is sufficient for me for your power is perfected in my weakness. Help me not to look for you in the wind, the earthquake or the fire but to wait for your still small voice. Help me also to believe and obey. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
