OUR DAILY BREAD : BRING THE BOY TO ME

[cimi]

February 15
Sunday


BRING THE
BOY TO ME

READ:
Mark 9:14-27
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[Jesus] answered
him and said,
"...Bring him to
Me." __Mark 9:19
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I don't believe in God and I won't go," Mark said.

Amy struggled to swallow the lump in her throat. Her son had changed from a happy boy to a surly and uncooperative young man. Life was a battleground, and Sunday had become a day to dread, as Mark refused to go to church with the family. Finally his despairing parents consulted a counselor, who said: "Mark must make his own faith journey. You can't force him into the kingdom. Give God space to work. Keep praying, and wait."

Amy waited__and prayed. One morning the words of Jesus that she had read echoed through her mind. Jesus' disciples had failed to help a demon-possessed boy, but Jesus had the answer: "Bring him to me" (Mark 9:19). The sun shone through the window at Amy's side, making a pool of light on the floor. If Jesus could heal in such an extreme situation, then surely He could also help her son. She pictured herself and Mark standing in that light with Jesus. Then she mentally stepped back, leaving her son alone with the One who loved him even more than she did.

Every day Amy silently handed Mark to God, clinging to the assurance that he knew Mark's needs, and would in His time and in His way, work in his life. __Marion stroud

```````````````````Father, I lift my beloved to You, knowing that`````````````````````
`````````````````````You love him even more than I do and``````````````````````````
```````````````````You understand just what to do to meet`````````````````````````
``````````````````his need. I commit him to Your care.````````````````````````````
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Prayer is the voice of faith
trusting that God knows and cares.

************************Today's Bible Reading __ Mark 9:14-27************************
14 And when He came to
the disciples, He saw a great
multitude around them, and
scribes disputing with them.

15 Immediately, when they
saw him, all the people were
greatly amazed, and running
to Him, greeted Him.

16 And He asked the scribes,
"What are you discussing
with them?"

17 Then one of the crowd
answered and said, "teacher,
I brought You my son, who
has a mute spirit. 18 And
wherever it seizes him, it
throws him down; he foams
at the mouth, gnashes his
teeth, and becomes rigid. So
I spoke to Your disciples,
that they should cast it out,
but they could not."

19 He answered him and
said, "O faithless generation,
how long shall I be with
you? How long shall I bear
with you? Bring him to Me."

20 Then they brought him to
Him. And when he saw Him,
immediately the spirit
convulsed him, and he fell
on the ground...foaming at
the mouth. 21 So He asked
his father, "How long has
this been happening to him?"
And he said, "From
childhood. 22 And often he
has thrown him both into the
fire and into the water to
destroy him. But if You can
do anything, have
compassion on us and help
us." 23 Jesus said to him, "If
you can believe, all things
are possible to him who
believes."

24 Immediately the father of
the child cried out and said
with tears, "Lord, I believe;
help my unbelief!"

25 When Jesus saw that the
people came running
together, he rebuked the
unclean spirit, saying to it:
"Deaf and dumb spirit, I
command you, come out of
him and enter him no more!"

26 Then the spirit cried out
...and came out of him.
And he became as one dead,
so that many said, "He is
dead." 27 But Jesus took him
by the hand and lifted him
up, and he arose.