I do believe, I do believe, I do believe...

I believe

I have thought a lot about faith lately. These are a few things I have learned.

Faith is a decision. We all doubt sometimes. There are questions that do not have answers. There has to come a time when we decide to believe. We have often heard that love is a decision, not an emotion. Faith is a decision.

In Mark 9, a man asked Jesus to deliver his son from demon possession, "if He was able." Mark 9:23 "'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."
Mark 9:24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

There are two principles I see here.
The father made a declaration. I do believe. He came to Jesus because he was desperate for help. He had come to the disciples, who had tried to cast the demon out of the boy, but they could not. When Jesus showed up, this father had a choice to make. He could have become discouraged and given up. It is hard to continue to believe after you are disappointed. But he made the decision to believe. When Jesus confronted the mans doubt, saying if you can, the man made the decision to exercise faith, stating, "I do believe." regardless of past experience, regardless of disappointment, even thought the disciples couldn't help him. He fought to believe Jesus word in the face of past disappointment.

Then, he asked Jesus to help him. He was honest. He took his doubt, his hurt, and his disappointment to Jesus, and asked him for help..."help me to believe, strengthen my faith."