Ended in One Encounterਨਮੂਨਾ

Day 3: Unsuccessful Gestures

The father in Mark 9 does something that many of us hesitate to do, he takes the risk of pursuing better without the guarantee that things will actually improve. He steps into a vulnerable space, admitting that the situation with his son is beyond him. He chooses to seek help, even though there's no assurance that help will come. What’s worse is that when he finally reaches out, the people he turns to, disciples of Jesus, fail to provide the breakthrough.

That kind of disappointment can be devastating. Imagine the emotional weight: finally building the courage to reach out, only to be met with failure from people you thought could help. And these weren't just anyone. These were followers of Jesus, men who walked with Him, witnessed His miracles, and still couldn't deliver results.

It would be easy to focus on the failure of the disciples. Many critics of the text do just that. But there’s a deeper message here. The story doesn’t end with their inability. Jesus arrives, and everything changes.

This is hope for those who have been hurt by people in the church. It’s encouragement for those who have trusted others only to be let down. Yes, sometimes disciples fail. Yes, people who walk with Jesus don’t always get it right. But Jesus does. He never allows the failures of others to be the final word over your life.

So don’t stop seeking just because someone disappointed you. Don’t abandon your pursuit of healing, deliverance, or breakthrough because the first attempt didn’t work. Sometimes the delay is designed to deepen your reliance on Jesus Himself. Human disappointment often intensifies divine dependence.

In fact, it was the failure of the disciples that exposed something deeper in the father: his own struggle with unbelief. And only Jesus could reach that part of him. What others couldn’t fix, Jesus came to heal.

It’s like the Atacama Desert in South America, one of the driest places on Earth. It can go years without rain. But when rain does come, even just once, the desert erupts into a breathtaking super bloom. Flowers cover the once-barren land.

In the same way, one appearance from Jesus can bring life, color, and healing to places you thought would never bloom again. Keep pursuing. He is worth the risk.