Fearfulness or Faith
Life is full of surprises. Some are enjoyable, and some are very difficult or painful. I have come to believe that God allows those surprises and crises to happen, so we can see our reaction and judge our spiritual maturity.
Take the story in Mark 4:35-41 as an example. Jesus told His disciples to get into the boat and go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. He promptly went into the stern of the boat and fell fast asleep. Soon, the wind and the waves rose so that the boat was filling with water. The disciples thought they would die, so they were overcome with fear. They woke Jesus and asked Him a very preposterous question, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" They were so afraid and stressed that they were upset with Jesus for sleeping, and they did not think He cared for them. I believe they flunked His test, so Jesus calmed the wind as well as the waves, and He asked them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" They had Love in the boat, but they did not think He cared. They had the Creator at their side, but they thought He was powerless. They had not learned to trust Him, so they had no faith, only fear.
That story is so instructive because I think Jesus knew the storm was coming before He told them to go across the sea, and He laid down to sleep. He actually sent them into the storm. He did not try to protect them from it. He wanted it to cause them to cry out to Him in faith. He wanted it to be an example of how they could go through a crisis with no fear, because they were with Him. He wanted them to pass the test and have real peace in the storm. He wants us to experience that peace today, when the storms of life come. Yes, He cares more than we know. He cares so much that He allows the trials, so we can grow to trust Him more. I pray that all of us have learned to live by faith, instead of being overcome by fear. Next time, I hope we will all exhibit great faith by calling out to Jesus, and allowing Him to guide us and empower us through the storm with a heart of peace.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Joshua 22-24 and Luke 3.
Take the story in Mark 4:35-41 as an example. Jesus told His disciples to get into the boat and go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. He promptly went into the stern of the boat and fell fast asleep. Soon, the wind and the waves rose so that the boat was filling with water. The disciples thought they would die, so they were overcome with fear. They woke Jesus and asked Him a very preposterous question, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" They were so afraid and stressed that they were upset with Jesus for sleeping, and they did not think He cared for them. I believe they flunked His test, so Jesus calmed the wind as well as the waves, and He asked them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" They had Love in the boat, but they did not think He cared. They had the Creator at their side, but they thought He was powerless. They had not learned to trust Him, so they had no faith, only fear.
That story is so instructive because I think Jesus knew the storm was coming before He told them to go across the sea, and He laid down to sleep. He actually sent them into the storm. He did not try to protect them from it. He wanted it to cause them to cry out to Him in faith. He wanted it to be an example of how they could go through a crisis with no fear, because they were with Him. He wanted them to pass the test and have real peace in the storm. He wants us to experience that peace today, when the storms of life come. Yes, He cares more than we know. He cares so much that He allows the trials, so we can grow to trust Him more. I pray that all of us have learned to live by faith, instead of being overcome by fear. Next time, I hope we will all exhibit great faith by calling out to Jesus, and allowing Him to guide us and empower us through the storm with a heart of peace.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Joshua 22-24 and Luke 3.