Between Doubt And Despair

Hey everyone, I'm sorry, I know its been awhile since I've posted anything. Well, its summertime now and I'm done with high school. My summer has been pretty good so far. I have been spending time with friends and  trying to get ready for college.




Unfortunately, I have also been dealing with a lot of anxiety, lack of motivation, and strength that have made me struggle with doing another blog post. I am really hoping that this blog post can help myself and others that are going through a lot right now. My pastor has been in a series called, "Desperation: Turning Desperate Situations Into Defining Moments."

In the last week of the series, my pastor preached a message called, "Between Doubt and Despair."

In Mark 9:14-18, we are introduced to a boy that has been possessed by an impure spirit that the disciples could not drive out of him. Most of us don't know anyone possessed by an evil spirit, but maybe some of us struggle with negative emotions that seize us, essentially throw us to the ground, and take control of our lives. Then, like in these verses, we begin to wonder if God will help us in our situation. When we are faced with a problem that is never getting better, it's easy to wonder if it ever will.

Here are three vital lessons that might can help you with what your struggling with right now:

1. Real Faith can be a struggle.
  • We struggle to trust in the Lord.
  • We struggle with real faith because, sometimes we see the powerlessness of other christians around us. When we see God making little to no difference in the lives of others, it's difficult to believe he can make a difference in my life. 
  • When you struggle with a situation for a long time, it's hard to have real faith. It's the length and degree of the problem, that makes it hard. Like in Mark 9: 19-21, we need to take our problem to Jesus. 
  • One of the most important verses in Mark 9 is verse 24. The father says, "I do believe: help me overcome my unbelief!" Sometimes, we are standing at the crossroads of fear and faith and fear is winning. 
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2. Don't set limits on the power of God.
  • FB Meyer says, "Unbelief puts our circumstances between us and God, but faith puts God between us and our circumstances." 
  • When your faith is attached to God, nothing becomes impossible. 
  • The problem is truth faith, not God's power. 
3. Its okay to ask God for help, when our faith is weak.
  • Our pastor then read from Mark 9: 25-27. 
  • A good prayer to pray is, "Lord, help me overcome my unbelief and help me get beyond my doubts and fears." 
  • Sometimes when we have a poverty of faith, God gives us an abundance of grace. 
Importance of prayer:
  • In Mark 9: 28-29, it points out the importance of prayer. 
  • There are some things, you can't do by yourself.
  • The missing ingredient is real prayer.
  • Sometimes you have to depend on what God can do.
  • Praying is your opportunity to realize your dependence on God.

I hope this helps some of y'all struggling with something right now. Feel free to comment on any of my posts. I hope y'all have a blessed day. Also if you're struggling with motivation to read God's word and spend time with him everyday, be on the lookout for my next blog post. 


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