That act of belief

Answer this question: Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, his Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does he do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust him to do them in you? Don't these things happen among you just as they happened with Abraham? He believed God, and that act of belief was turned into a life that was right with God. Galatians 3:5-6 MSG

Over the past couple of months, there have been times when it has been very difficult for me to trust God with a circumstance in our lives. I have oscillated between 'Yes God, I know you are in control' and 'This is such a terrible situation, how can it every change, how will we make it through?' When these negative thoughts come into my mind, the Holy Spirit reminds me of a passage of scripture our pastor has preached about, Mark 9:24. Here is the passage of scripture starting at verse 21,

And [Jesus] asked his father, How long has he had this? And he answered, From the time he was a little boy. And it has often thrown him both into fire and into water, intending to kill him. But if You can do anything, do have pity on us and help us. And Jesus said, [You say to Me], If You can do anthing? [Why] all things can be (are possible) to him who believes! At once the father of the boy gave [an eager, piercing, inarticulate] cry with tears, and he said, Lord, I believe! [Constantly] help my weakness of faith! Mark 9:21-24 AMP

How difficult it is when your circumstances are 'screaming' one thing, your heart knows and loves Jesus, and your mind is caught in the middle! Jesus can help us with our 'weakness of faith' and that is my personal prayer this morning. Added to that prayer, is the request for Jesus to help me take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ, as Paul tells us to do in 2 Corinthians.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV

I thank Jesus that he will answer both these requests and help me with my areas of weakness of faith, and take every thought captive. Jesus wants me to live with joy and peace.

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). John 10:10 AMP

Question for today, is there a circumstance you are facing that you are having difficulty believing God's best for? Ask Jesus to help you with your weakness in faith, to take your thoughts captive, so that you can get to the place where you can enjoy life and have it in abundance.