How Can We Overcome Doubt and Believe the Miracle of Easter?

"Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won't let him talk. And whenever the spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid." Mark 9:17-18 NLT

Parents lay down their lives for their children every day, both literally and sacrificially. A suffering child breaks their parent's hearts. I, myself, have a child with an incurable disease. Though the blessings abound in technology and treatment, she has lost relationships over the burden of her disease on others. In addition to the physical ramifications, the world's cruel impatience and lack of perseverance shine light upon her circumstances.

This father who begged Jesus for a miracle is dealing with a state in which his son is most certainly made fun of, gasped at, outcast, and isolated. He's likely way too much for everyone, so his father clings to the only hope he knows to have. This miracle worker he's heard of.

"How long has this been happening?" Jesus asked the boy's father.

He replied, "Since he was a little boy. The spirit often throws him into the fire or into the water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can." Mark 9:20-22 NLT

During class on days when her disease takes over, my daughter's alarms go off, disrupting teachers and attracting stares from classmates. The gap in understanding creates a lack of empathy. This boy, possessed by this demon, most likely never had a friend. Perhaps nothing in the world hurts more than isolation. If left in isolation long enough, anyone would struggle with disbelief. Reality sets up camp and doesn't show any sign of leaving. Hope gets harder to fight for. Life becomes a series of blurring days and jarring nights. Weeks, months, and years go by. This father, desperate to help his son, was mostly likely isolated, too.

"What do you mean, 'If I can?' Jesus asked. 'Anything is possible if a person believes." Mark 9:23 NLT

Yet this man, as we all feel when we endure hard medical reports and darkness upon darkness in the layers of our lives, loses belief. It can at least get blurry for us sometimes. Life is hard. We're warned of it. It's ok to embrace that reality. But it's good, too, at the same time. But it gets hard when we're buried in the day-to-day survival of getting through something terrible. We know we believe, but it feels faint, weak, and distant.

"The father instantly cried out, 'I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!'" Mark 9:24 NLT

We all face times when it's hard to believe, and I think God is telling us through this story to come to Him with every doubt and hurdle in the way of belief. We can praise Him with little energy as if scraping up the side of the mountain, making a slow and steady comeback one bit at a time. Doubts creep into life's hurts and try to convince us our miracle is not coming and our God isn't real. Those lies can take us out if we let them. It's easier not to let them. We have easy access to God because of Jesus' death and resurrection. He may not literally stand us up on our two feet and cure every ailment we have right away. Still, He will immediately lift the countenance of our souls to embrace whatever healing comes our way and give us the endurance and strength we need to participate in whatever our part and piece in the miracle are.

There is always something to learn through the hardship of life. It stinks we have to have the hardship to learn, but nothing gets our attention like acute pain. Don't let it. Cling to the miracle of Christ.

"When Jesus saw that the crown of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil spirit. 'Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,' he said. 'I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!'

Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, 'He's dead.' But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up." Mark 9:25-27 NLT

I wonder if, when the boy convulsed and hit the ground, motionless, the father feared the worst. If he thought all hope was lost. Jesus' disciples had tried to cast the demon out but were unsuccessful. There are so many things and people we run to in life for cures for our ailments and to quench the appetites of what we desire in this life. Changes of circumstance, rights made wrong, misunderstandings cleared up, diseases cured, and lives saved, restored, and rescued.

"Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him,

'Why couldn't we cast out that evil spirit?'

Jesus replied, 'This kind can be cast out only by prayer.'" Mark 9:29 NLT

Maybe we have the head knowledge anything is possible for God, but we have a demon we've been unable to cast out of our own lives or the lives of a child or someone we love and care about. Perhaps we are the victim of someone else's demon or the sole caretaker left as the ailment has isolated its victim. It's ok to admit we're victims in this life as long as we don't allow that mindset to solidify our fate. Our fate is in the hands of Jesus, and as we learn from this story today, prayer is the way to access Him when our belief is under attack.

It's ok if we're not ok.

It's not always going to be ok.

Sometimes, there's no way for it to be ok here on earth.

It will be ok in heaven. And we hold onto that hope, and we pray to the One seated at the right hand of the Father, right there in heaven, to do what only He has the authority and power to do: help us in our unbelief.

Meg writes about everyday life within the love of Christ at megbucher.com. She is the author of “Friends with Everyone, Friendship within the Love of Christ,” “Surface, Unlocking the Gift of Sensitivity,” “Glory Up, The Everyday Pursuit of Praise,” “Home, Finding Our Identity in Christ,” and "Sent, Faith in Motion." Meg earned a Marketing/PR degree from Ashland University but stepped out of the business world to stay home and raise her two daughters …which led her to pursue her writing passion. A contributing writer for Salem Web Network since 2016, Meg is now thrilled to be a part of the editorial team at Salem Web Network. Meg loves being involved in her community and local church, leads Bible study, and serves as a youth leader for teen girls.