God is great and greatly to be praised. For that reason, we ought to face this new year with courage, knowing that if God be for us, who can be against us?
When we have mercy in front of us, grace all around us, and prayer behind us we know that we are going to make it, but we are going to have to walk by faith.
That means not seeing where we are going but knowing that nothing — nothing — will be impossible with God in 2024. That’s the mindset we must have moving forward this year, nothing is impossible with God. This means that this is what He specializes in, the impossible. He that can move mountains can answer prayer! He doesn’t ask us to move mountains or climb one, but as we walk into this new year, starting right now, we are going to have to walk by faith.
That’s what God honors, faith! I repeat we don’t know what 2024 holds, but we do know who holds 2024!
Now we need to know this morning that God honors faith. He operates by faith. We have to remember that when something comes against us, faith means taking God at His word, that is what He says He will do. “God said it, I believe it!” That’s faith!
The Bible says, “No good thing will He withhold from them that trust in Him (Psalms 84:11). I believe that. We are called this new year to expect the impossible! Any takers this morning? For God is the God of the impossible! Don’t give up no matter how bad things may be. Grab a hold of the fact that with God nothing is impossible! I don’t care how hot the fire gets, how low the valley gets, how dark the night or how strong the wind. With God nothing is impossible! Nothing! And when we need him the most, He’ll step right in.
We have to believe that to embrace 2024 as our banner year, any takers this morning? In Mark’s gospel, we see a man who is at his wits end and in an impossible situation. He doesn’t know what to do. His son is demon-possessed.
Now community, what do you do when you don’t know what to do? Where do you turn when you don’t know where to turn when the worst of the worst happens? Has anybody reading ever been there? Has anybody ever been in a desperate situation? “I have done all that I can do, so what do I do now?” I’ve prayed, so what else can I do?
A distraught father had brought his demonized son, deaf and dumb, for the disciples to heal, but they could not cast out the demon (Mark 9:17-27). Jesus had given them this power (3:14,15), but they were unable to deliver the boy. They had lost their spiritual connection with God. So, they were powerless. A father spoke from the crowd and said “Master, I have brought my son, which is demon-possessed; and wherever the demon takes him, he tears him; and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth.”
This son is in bad shape! Community, I wouldn’t wish this on anybody or on any parent; not even my worst enemy!
Now, I can only imagine the pain of this father, to see your child in this predicament. I mean I have two sons, and if one of them was like this, it would rip my heart out! To see your child tormented by demons and there is nothing that you can do. As parents we would rather suffer ourselves than to see them suffer; but when Satan gets a hold of your life, he doesn’t just want to bind you up, he wants to kill you. That’s what he came to do, “Kill, steal and destroy!” He wants to destroy all sinners, drugs, alcohol, premarital sex and immorality, sin is destroying sinners. It’s killing them.
Look at what he’s doing to our young people today right here in our neighborhood! Every parent ought to put themselves right here in this father’s shoes. Think about your children that you love. What if this was your child? God only knows the lengths to which this father had gone to get help for his son and nothing worked, the stress he had to deal with week after week, month after month, year after year. Jesus had asked the father “how long had his son been this way (verse 21); and he said since he was a child; which means it could have been a long time.
The father said to Jesus “Oftentimes the demon throws my son in the fire (my God), and the waters, to destroy him; but if you can do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.” Jesus said to him “If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believe.” The father replied with tears “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief (vs 24).” In 2024 take this prescription with you; and no matter what comes your way; no matter how high the mountain; how fiery the trial; “if you can believe “all things are possible to him that believe.”
The question is, “Do we really believe?” Jesus rebuked the demonic spirit, commanded him to come out of the son, and he came out (vers e26). Parents whose children the devil have a hold on them, do you really believe? Those whose marriages are in trouble, do you really believe?” In the fiery furnace, do you really believe?
I don’t care what it looks like, with faith, nothing is impossible with God.
The Rev. George Ellis is the pastor of Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church and can be reached at [email protected].
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