Yesterday concluded our VBS week at Central. The past couple of years our church has added an event for 7th and 8th graders that coincided with our VBS. This year I helped with this older group. We had over fifty 7th and 8th graders attend a week long event of three Bible studies a day… and they loved it!
Not one time did I see apathy in the eyes of those attending. Not one time did I see boredom. Not one time did I see, “what? another Bible lesson?” Instead those who sat before me were kids with eyes wide open and hungry for truth.
On Thursday we gave those attending an opportunity to make a decision based on what they had experienced during the week. It was the classic decision card asking about more church information, prayer request, baptism, rededication, salvation, etc. Each child filled out a card so that every child could be uninhibited in their answers. I am so glad that we chose this route because on one of these cards I saw one of the most honest answers I have ever read.
One of the kids checked all the boxes and at the prayer request line they wrote, “I want to believe, but I still feel like I don’t” My heart stuck in my throat as I read the words and my mind went straight to the Word of God…
And He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!” And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”
Mark 9:21-24
I told my friend how this was one of the most honest answers I have ever read on a decision card and I have read hundreds. As we both stood there in awe of what God had done this week, her reply was that this one was probably more saved than any of us. (Disclaimer: “more saved” was just an expression to capture the joy of our hearts at this young person’s response to the gospel.)
How many of us hear and read the Word of God and our hearts cry out this very same plea.
I want to believe, but I still feel like I don’t.
I do believe; help my unbelief.
Precious one, if this is the cry of your heart, God is not afraid of it. You are coming to Him just the way He asks you to… honestly.
When Jesus came and taught the disciples they did not understand it all. They really couldn’t process all that He was saying at the time. Jesus was completely aware of this… He taught them anyway.
These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him.
John 12:16
The name of our 7th and 8th grade event was “Accelerate”. On our last day I shared with the kids that acceleration, in physics, is the rate of change of velocity of an object. An object’s acceleration is the net result of any and all forces acting on the object.
God’s word and His Holy Spirit are the forces that act upon us, the object. God’s Word never returns empty It always accomplishes the purpose for which God sent it (Isaiah 55:11). It’s living and active (Hebrews 4:12). Therefore when we hear it, we will indeed accelerate. The question is in which direction will we go? Towards God… or away from Him?
I want to believe, but I still feel like I don’t.
I do believe; help my unbelief.
These are both heart cries that are accelerating toward God and that gives me reason to rejoice. We don’t have to understand it all to take a step in faith toward and into belief… even if that step is simply acknowledging that we want to believe, but need help to believe.
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