October 12 - Conquering Unbelief

Grace to You.org ^ | 2008 | John MacArthur, Grace Community Church

[metmom]

“Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your son lives.’ The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off. As he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living. So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, ‘Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.’ So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, ‘Your son lives’; and he himself believed and his whole household. This is again a second sign that Jesus performed when He had come out of Judea into Galilee” (John 4:50–54).

The royal official did not dispute Jesus’ assessment of him and his fellow Galileans. Instead, he poured out his heart, exclaiming, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Despite Christ’s rebuke of the Galileans’ faithless demand for miracles, the Lord graciously performed the miracle and drew the official’s faith to a higher level.

Rather than agreeing to go back to Capernaum with him as the official had begged Him to do, Jesus said to him, “Go; your son lives.” At that very instant (vv. 52–53), the boy was healed. Though he had no confirmation of it, “the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him” and started off for home.

On the way, his slaves met him, and he received the good news he was hoping to get: “his son was living.” When he discovered that the time of his son’s recovery was at the very hour that Jesus spoke the proclamation of healing, not only did the royal official himself believe but also his whole household.

Ask Yourself

It is hard to be one faithful person among many others who are unfaithful. How are you being called to exercise the lonely, upstream walk of faith in your work or church or family environment? Pray that you would keep believing, even when all those around you discount your unflagging trust.

[metmom]

Studying God’s Word pingwe

[RoosterRedux]

I have heard it put this way...that faith itself is a gift from God (i.e., he reveals Himself to our innermost being). Our responsibility is the strength of character/courage to exercise that faith.

Like a muscle, the more we exercise our faith, the stronger it gets.