When God's presence is there, freedom starts to come. When we take the time to quiet our hearts and invite God into our thoughts, we can feel His calming influence. However life's busy-ness can sometimes pull us away from God's peace.
Isaiah predicted the wonderful gift that God would give us through Jesus, if we would only receive it.
He was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:5-6
As we head towards Easter, we remember the power of God and His ability to break the chains that are holding us back in our lives.
The following scene happened right after the transfiguration when Jesus, Peter, James & John were joined by the spirits of Elijah and Moses.
When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. 15 As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
16 “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
17 A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. 18 Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”
19 “You unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”
20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.
21 Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”
“From childhood,” he answered. 22 “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”
23 “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”
24 Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the impure spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”
26 The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.
28 After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.[a]” Mark 9:14-29
In this life there are wounds and brokenness and in the transfiguration there is glory. There can be a tension between the two. Easter reminds us that God wants to be with us in the chaos and to lead us out of the chaos.
Like the boy, there are things in our life that can throw us down and take control of our lives. Some of these things can stand in the way of letting God work.
In the story, the disciples couldn't do anything. Sometimes we feel powerless against spiritual things. When Jesus sent the disciples out two by two and with His authority, great things happened. It is quite likely that in this instance, they were trying to do the healing in their own power. Jesus then got frustrated with them.
Something else that tends to hinder God from working is doubt. Knowing that sometimes God heals and sometimes He doesn't means that we need to place a complete reliance on Him. He CAN heal; we just need to remember that His timing is not ours... That His ways are not our ways.
Discouragement can also hinder God. in the story, the father says "if you can heal". This likely came from a place of discouragement after having taken (without success) his son to many doctors and priests with the hope that they could heal his son.
At the end of this Scripture, the man says "help my unbelief". We too need help for our unbelief. Perhaps this is the exact prayer that resulted in his son being set free.
If the people are called by name will humble themselves... Will say "I need your help God - will you help my unbelief?” The same verse says we should turn from our wicked ways - the other things we turn to like sports, addictions.
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
The father in this story humbled himself by asking Jesus to help his unbelief. What if we too humbled ourselves? What if we prayed? What if we turned from other things and towards God instead. Imagine the healing that could take place. That's why Jesus came... To heal us