How do we have faith when the world around us falling apart? How do we have faith when life as we know it seems to change on the daily? Where is God when the world is in pandemic mode, but the rest of life continues to go on? People are still dying of other causes besides the virus. There are still tornados, and car wrecks, and house fires. Isn’t the virus enough? Can we just have one crisis at a time, Lord?
In Mark 4, Jesus begins teach from a boat because there was a large crowd around them. He proceeds to teach 4 parables, and then he tells his disciples, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.” Anyone who teaches knows He was probably tired from all that instruction, so He went down into the stern and went to sleep. Wouldn’t you know it, a storm came up, and their boat and other boats were rocking and rolling because of the waves. Verse 37 says, “A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?””
(Mark 4:37-38)
Have you said that to the Lord here lately? “Jesus, don’t you see us? Don’t you care? Don’t you know? Or are you asleep?” Let me assure you that He is not asleep. While He may have been taking a “power nap” in that stern, He most certainly knew what was going on!
“He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”” (Mark 4:39-40)
I read in a Bible study once that we don’t have a fear problem. We have a faith problem.[1] That’s the core of this question Jesus asked the disciples. If we’re fearful all the time, then where is our faith? It’s not in God. If we really believed He can do what He says He can do, then we would not live in fear. We would live in faith. We have trusted Him with our eternities if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross. Then why can’t we trust Him with our tomorrows?[2]
Why do we fear? We may need to look at where our faith is placed. We may need to ask ourselves if we really believe God and take Him at His Word or are we listening to the lies of the enemy who is telling us that we can’t trust Him.
One thing I have learned about fear in my life is that fear begets more fear. It sends us down roads in our minds that we have no business being on. One fear leads to another fear, which leads to actions we would never take in normal circumstances. Reactions that are totally unlike us. And the next thing we know, we are swallowed up in things that are completely untrue as we know it at that moment. We have gone places in our thoughts that don't really even exist. Once we do that, we are paralyzed and unable to go down the roads God wants us to go down. We lose sleep. We lose our focus. Sometimes, we may feel like we're losing our minds. But what he wants is our faith. I read a tweet from Beth Moore years ago that said this, “The enemy of your soul wants one thing above all else. More than he wants your integrity, gifting, job, church, or family. He wants your faith.”[3]
If you read the first verse of Mark 5, you will notice that the group made it to the other side of the lake. Jesus knew they would. That’s why He could rest during a mighty storm. We will make it to the other side of this if we remember to have faith in the only One who can calm this storm. We need to have faith and not fear.
There is no storm that can overcome our God. No virus. No natural disaster. Nothing. We have a tendency to only see the storm that is around us and forget that Jesus is with us in that storm. Circumstances are not your god. God is your God. And right now, He saying, “Don’t be afraid. Be still. Have faith in Me.”
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