Is There A "IF" In Your Question?

“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe.”
- Mark 9:23

A certain man had a demoniac son, who was afflicted with a dumb spirit. The boy’s father, having seen the worthlessness of the actions of the disciples to heal his child, had little or no faith in Christ, and therefore, when he was told by the disciples to bring his son to Jesus, he said to Jesus, “If You can do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.”

Now there was an “if” in the question, but the poor trembling father had put the “if” in the wrong place: Jesus Christ, therefore, without commanding him to retract the “if,” kindly puts it in its legitimate position. “No,” he seemed to say, “there should be no ‘if’ about my power, nor concerning my willingness, the ‘if’ goes somewhere else.” “If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”

The man’s trust was strengthened, he offered a humble prayer for an increase of faith, and instantly Jesus spoke the word, and the devil was cast out, with an injunction never to return.

There is a lesson here which we need to learn. We, like this man, often see that there is an “if” somewhere, but we are always blundering by putting it in the wrong place. “If” Jesus can help me-”if” He can give me grace to overcome temptation-”if” He can give me pardon-”if” He can make me successful?

No, it must be, “if” we can believe, He both can and will. We have misplaced our “if.” If we can confidently trust, even as all things are possible to Christ, so shall all things be possible to us. Faith locks in God’s power, and is robed in God’s majesty; it wears the royal apparel, and rides on the King’s horse, for it is the grace which the King delights to honor. Girding itself with the glorious might of the all-working Spirit, it becomes, in the omnipotence of God, mighty to do, to dare, and to suffer. All things, without limit, are possible to him that believes. My soul, can you believe you’re Lord today?