The disciples were in the boat, nothing could save them now. They had seen storms before but this one was beyond anything the men of Galilee had ever experienced. As water filled the boat one of them noticed the sleeping master covered in His cloak, laying on the fishing nets. “How can he be sleeping?” one of them screams over the roaring storm. Matthew the tax collector can take no more, he drops in front of the sleeping man and cries out, “Master, master we are all going to drown!” Jesus rouses slowly, there is no fear showing on His serene face. He rises lifting His arms toward heaven, He says, “Be still.” and at that very moment the storm is calmed, the sea is like a sheet of glass. The frantic disciples who thought they knew everything about their leader are mystified again as He turns to them saying, “Where is your faith?” They can only say, “Who is this man that even the winds and waters obey Him?”
“Where is your faith?” It echoes down through the centuries, in the year 2017 do we know and trust Jesus any more than 12 men in a sinking boat. I must look around and say no. Thousands of years and a book with enough evidence to convince the most hardened atheist and still the words resound in our ears as powerfully as the winds blowing across the Sea of Galilee. The question is why.
In my years being lost I found that faith was an easy thing as long as that faith was based on me, myself and I. Addicts are probably the most faith-filled people you will ever meet. No I am not talking about faith as we find it in the person of Jesus Christ. I am talking about self-faith or belief that they are going to score no matter what it takes, including stealing even from our own kids. I did it more than once and I find no joy in the fact. In all those years the idea that I could turn all things over to someone and trust that He had my back even in the midst of the storm was not possible. It was the Bible, the word of God, that allowed me to see that He was truly trustworthy, I believe it! So from this you would guess that this would mean I now have all the faith I need but you would be wrong. So the same question applies to me as it does to us all. “Where is my faith?” Can we find an answer, I think so.
The first thing we need to do is define faith itself. The book of Hebrews says that “…faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Heb 1:11). So if we can be sure of the hope Jesus has given us and sure in all we do not yet see maybe there are a few steps we can take to be able to sit quietly in the boat even as it is filling with water.
Step 1: Have a Personal Relationship with God. At times God might do things in your life to strengthen your faith. If you really want to see the glory of God’s Faith, you must get to know God personally and must be willing to follow Him anywhere. Obedience is the key. Knowing He never leads without purpose. Trust and obey.
Step 2: Seek Faith Through God. Sounds simple but it means every day that you trust the words of John 14:13 “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.” Seek Him every day in His word and every moment in prayer. Trust and pray.
Step 3: Be Patient and Stand Firm. My past leads me to want all thing done according to my time schedule. But hard as it is, you and I have to learn to have patience and wait for God’s time to bless us. We cannot give up. “Keepings our focus on Jesus, the author and finisher of our …. what’s that word…yeah that’s right, faith. This is what we are told in Hebrews 12:2. Trust and wait.
So I find it will always come down to trust. Will I wait till the storm has filled the boat and it is sinking to fall on my knew and beg the Savior, “Master I am drowning!’ Or will I fall on my knees now and say. “I know where my faith is today and it is in You who has already saved me from the storm.” I trust all I am and all I don’t see to you, Lord right now!” Yeah, I like that! I have my life saver, how about you?
John
4/26/17
Storms….if you only had faith
