Do You believe?

Mark 9:23-24  "Jesus said to him, 'If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.'  Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, 'Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.'"

A friend called me today to request prayer for herself and also for her husband, who is recovering from surgery, and has recently been diagnosed with cancer.  Now today they say he has a blood clot in his leg.  This has been a struggle and a very trying experience for them both.  She said that she was just so tired, and trying to maintain her composure and strength, while trying to keep up with work and his doctor appointments at the same time.  She was also struggling with her spiritual strength and lack of faith.  Someone had told her that her lack of faith was the sin of unbelief, and she needed to confess it and repent of it.  I told her that her lack of faith was not a sin, but a symptom of the thing we all have in common...we are human and subject to fear, anxiety, unbelief, and being just plain worn out.

On my way to work this morning I was listening to a new song by Amy Grant entitled "Better Than a Hallelujah".  I really liked what the lyrics of this song had to say as they were speaking to me this morning.  I tried to share them with my friend this afternoon. I couldn't remember exactly how it went, but I just looked it up online, and here is what the main chorus of the song says:

"We pour out our miseries, God just hears a melody. Beautiful the mess we are, the honest cries of breaking hearts are better than a hallelujah sometimes..."  (sung by Amy Grant, written by Sarah Hart and Chapin Hartford)

 God understands when our hearts are breaking and our faith is weak. 

Psalm 103:13-14 says "As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust."

We will all have times in our lives when our faith is weak and our hearts are breaking. That's not a sin...that's our human condition...the very same human condition that Christ died for...why?  Because He loves us, that's why.  He told His disciples in John 14:16 that God would give them another 'helper', or comforter, that He may abide with them forever...and in John 14:18, He said he would not leave them orphans...or comfortless (KJV)...  He promised to send us the Holy Spirit as our Comforter...and why should we need comforting if we were always perfectly strong and full of faith?  Jesus knew that we would need the help that only the Holy Spirit can give in times of sorrow and distress. 

So, let's be honest with our deepest feelings and emotions...there's no need to cover up and pretend everything is okay when it's not.  Someone said that "tears are a language that God understands."  He will gently wipe away your tears and cradle you tenderly in His arms and rock you gently to sleep as He whispers a lullaby of love over you. 

"He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

If that isn't comfort, I don't know what is.