Sunday, September 24
it's only through fasting and prayer... and grace.
Mark 9:14-29:
Jesus healed a Boy possessed by an uncleaned spirit
which His disciples tried to cast out, but were unable to
still, they had been appointed by Jesus,
and given the power and authority to heal and cast out demons.
So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but fasting and praying"
[Mark 9:29]
how amazing, this simple truth!
when we turn to God,
He will not fail to answer, and fill us with His power!
for to fast is to turn away from what is material,
but instead hunger and thirst for the word of God
and to pray is to speak to God, to commit our burden unto His hands
how amazing thus,
we can do all things through God,
who strengthens us
in Him, nothing is impossible
but first we must turn to Him
trusting His character, and His love
accepting His grace,
not as a debt which He owes us
but in exuberant joy, and gratitude
see not, fasting and prayer as works
for in doing so, God's providence would be akin to our wages
God does not owe us a debt
a cow or any other young animal that has been weaned leaves the house of its parent
but as our Father,
God still keeps a place for us in His house
it is not the order of things
or what we deserve for our goodness and greatness
nor is it God's obligation to take care of what is weaker than Him
just as it is not the onus of a man to cast endless alms to a leech
an abyss of a man, who succumbs to sloth
and refuses to put in a good day's work
-we are not obliged to give to others anything that is rightfully ours
grace is giving what the other does not deserve
to ask God for something does not automatically mean that we are deserving
but God still provides
by grace
but it is only when we pray and fast in faith
without lacing doubt that God will somehow fail, for God never fails
that He comes to us.
directing us with His voice
to His holy sanctuary.
being a salt and light unto the world
does not mean, to ask for praises and accolades to be heaped upon us
for the world to look at us as little gods and idols
for the world is where things are measured and found wanting
where objective standards are set
where worth is weighed, gauged, assessed, and evaluated
the world is the place we went to
when we turned away from God and His instructions
the world contains good and evil
and us, the ability to discern between them
the lines are blurry
because of our clouded vision
not because there are no clear lines
being a salt and light is to bring back to man what they already know
to show them what truly is good
to shine light upon what has been enshrouded by darkness
and layered over by dust
to shout it all out
it's only by fasting and prayer. it's only by God's grace.
0. oOo
