Where is your Faith?

How do you respond when things are not going well?  When storms come, when there’s trouble in the world, when things are difficult with your spouse or kids, when work is overwhelming and stressful, or when there’s conflict even in the church … Where do you look for help?  Where should you look for help?

Let’s look at the gospel of Luke for some biblical perspective on this question.

One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger.

The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.  “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.

In fear and amazement, they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” (Luke 8:22-25)

When the storms came, where did the disciples look?  They looked around – at the obvious circumstances – and they were overwhelmed with fear.  They also looked at Jesus and were dismayed, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”  (from Mark’s account of the same story in Mark 4:35-41) Several of these men were fishermen by trade.  They knew how to handle a boat.  And they were all followers of Jesus.  They knew that He cared.  And they had witnessed demonstrations of His power.  Yet they were still paralyzed with fear.

Where was their faith?  It was in what they could see.  They knew their own abilities were no match for this terrible storm.  And Jesus didn’t seem to be interested in helping.

What they saw next changed their perspective – and should change ours as well.  Jesus “got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.”  The disciples were amazed at what Jesus could do.

Friend, I have seen Jesus calm storms in my life and in the lives of many, many others.  Jesus cares.  Jesus is trustworthy.  And Jesus is powerful – more powerful than any of the storms that life brings our way.  Look to Jesus and trust Him (put your faith in Him) to guide you through whatever you’re facing today.

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”  (Psalm 121:1-2)