22 “…But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’?[a] Everything is possible for the one who believes.” 24 Immediately the father of the boy cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9: 22b-24 CSB)

In our scripture today a man had brought his son to Christ because the boy was possessed. He surely had heard about all that Christ had been doing and had possibly even seen some of the miracles and wonders. However, he was struggling with belief.

I can imagine Christ looking at the man after his first statement, shaking his head slightly and voicing a saddened and incredulous “If you can?”

Of course He could, of course He can! Even in our lives when the answer to our prayers is no or wait, it is never “I can’t”. Yet far too often our belief is weak and we doubt.

We too need to be like this boy’s father and cry out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”

God is a god of great compassion and even when his answer is no or that we need to wait He is working in our best interest.

Let us not give him a reason to utter to us in our unbelief; “If you can?” Let us instead cry out only “Help my unbelief!”