When I completed my secondary education, like every other young secondary school
leaver, I looked forward to gaining admission into the university. I had high
hopes in spite of the fact that things did not look so bright financially with
my parents.
When my GCE results were released, even though it was not a bad result, it was
not good enough to secure admission for the course I wanted to study. This meant
that I had to re-write these papers,
I was already a Christian then, so I knew how to pray. The first time I sat for
the exams, I passed in all but the paper I needed. I was devastated. I however
encouraged myself and began to prepare for the next exam. The same scenario
played out and I began to move closer to depression. After the third time, I
stopped altogether and began to look for an alternative.
Some of you might say, “Well, maybe he did not understand the subject well
enough to pass the exams” I thought that was my problem too, until when I began
teaching others that subject and they passed while I did not. I knew something
was wrong. I knew I had a spiritual battle in my hands and I began to pray and
fast but above all I began to lean and trust in God to help me.
The last time I wrote the exam, I had a confidence I never felt before even
before I got to the examination hall. I had a knowing inside of me that the
battle had been won. I took my seat, prayed and opened the question papers. I
couldn’t believe my eyes! The questions were so easy; I could solve them with my
eyes closed! I finished the 2-hour paper in a little over and hour and I knew at
that moment that I had passed. A couple of weeks later, when the results were
released, I was not too surprised to discover that I didn’t just pass, I passed
well.
In Matthew 9:14-27, Jesus found his disciples in a worrisome situation. A man
had brought his child who had been demon possessed, manifesting in epileptic
seizures that had threatened to destroy the child. They had done all they could,
but the situation remained the same.
Jesus knew where the problem lay. It was not that the evil spirit was so
powerful; it was the inability of the parties in question to believe. In verse
22b, the father of the child says, “…... But if You can do anything, do have
pity on us and help us. “
I believe this is the problem many of us have today. We are at the crossroads of
“if”. Yes, we pray, but as we do, we are also thinking of a plan B. We begin to
play “what if” scenarios in our minds. We think of what we could do, in case God
does not answer our prayers. Note Jesus’ response to the man’s request, “And
Jesus said, [You say to Me], If You can do anything? [Why,] all things can be
(are possible) to him who believes! (Mark 9:23 Amplified Bible.)
Jesus response was a slight rebuke of the man’s inability to believe that Christ
could turn his situation around. He told him then and He is telling us today,
“All things are possible to him who believes!”
What does it mean to believe? I checked the Webster’s dictionary and got the
following definitions, “To credit upon the authority or testimony of another; to
be persuaded of the truth of something upon the declaration of another, When we
believe upon the authority of another, we always put confidence in his
veracity.”
Where is your confidence? Is it in yourself? Is it in other people you hold in
high esteem? All these options will fail but Jesus assures us; “All things are
possible to him who believes!”
Steve Popoola is the editor of Biblepraise Newsletter and the webmaster of
Biblepraise Fellowship Online at http://www.biblepraise.org . British by birth,
He currently resides in Lagos, Nigeria with wife Maris and their children,
Praise, Stephanie and Precious. He works in the IT department of bank. Formerly
an active singer, he still sings occasionally and speaks at invited forums. He
presently serves as the Head of Books/Library in his local church. He is the
Moderator/Editor of Biblepraise Newsletter. He can be reached through His email
address, steve@biblepraise.org
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.