Did you ever wonder?
In the Bible - Luke 8:22-25 - there is this recounting of a time when Jesus and His disciples were going to the other side of a large lake. If you have read this account, you know that they started sailing out across the lake and because Jesus was tired, He laid down to take a nap. Now, this line from Scripture: ‘But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water and they were in real danger.’ Can you sense the scene? Big waves, lots of water coming in the boat and REAL DANGER.
Have you ever wondered why we followers of Jesus jump past this moment of terror? His men woke Him up and shouted, ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown!’ Have you been in that moment when the future was entirely uncertain? Entirely dangerous to you? Entirely dangerous for your family or people you care about? Were you calm when you talked with Jesus in that moment? Maybe you had to shout because of all the noise!
Now, when Jesus woke up He told the wind and waves to calm down…AND THEY DID! His men were amazed! Jesus simply said, ‘Where is your faith?’ I don’t know what you are facing today- ‘where is your faith?’ I don’t know how dangerous your situation is - ‘where is your faith?’ Would you think with me for a moment? In this storm, the waves were high, there was water everywhere…and there seemed to be NO WAY OUT. Are you feeling seasick? Do you have saltwater soaking your face and clothes because of the size of the storm? Are you trying to get Jesus’ attention so that He will stop the storm?
Lest you think this is all just an exercise in telling you a good story, I will be vulnerable with you. Several months ago, the Lord laid this dream of a place to serve others - leaders who are going through difficult days - on our hearts. Immediately, The Lookout came into focus and we submitted our lives and dreams to the Lord again and said ‘yes.’ We have added the dream of planting a house church in Mountain View, a church unlike any we have ever experienced where we will follow Jesus with just a few people. As we planned and prayed and prepared to move, we constantly said Lord, this is your dream. We are completely dependent on you for this to work.
Fast forward about two months after getting here, loving this place and the dream of great things to come! And then the storm came up unexpectedly. A job that I dearly loved went away, and all of a sudden, I had to find another place to work to support my family and the dream of The Lookout. (I am so grateful for the time given by my former job to find work!) And now, with the waves high, and saltwater in our face and no job, we are in the midst of the storm…and Jesus keeps reminding us to trust Him. To be uncomfortably honest, I took today to regroup and ask the Lord for strength in the midst of the storm.
So the question - ‘W h e r e i s y o u r f a i t h?’ is very real. We all face times when we do not know what is next, maybe a family situation, or a health issue…maybe like me, you face job issues. The key is ‘where is your faith?’ Why does Jesus ask us this kind of question? Why does He allow us to face dangerous storms? It is in the midst of these intense times when we are in REAL DANGER that we say - Okay Lord, this is hopeless, and rather than continuing to struggle and fight, I will call out to you and trust you for answers in the middle of the difficulty. For me, this is also a time to say, ‘Lord, I am yours and I will not stop trusting and believing in you - no matter what happens. I will trust the Lord. If you calm the storm, I will follow you, if you don’t calm the storm, I will follow you. I will follow you.
Friend, God is faithful and we can trust in the promises of Scripture. I hope this post will encourage you to do one of two things. First, if you are going through your own storm - hold on. Don’t give up. Keep trusting God even though you do not see a way out or through the storm. Keep holding on. Second - maybe you read this and you are reminded of the times when you faced oceans of difficulty. Please pray for someone you know, someone who is in a really dark place. They need your encouragement and prayer. Don’t assume that you know the answers, just walk through this time with them….and the next time the waves are high, may God send good friends to you to help you keep going.
In John:14:27, Jesus said, “I am leaving you with a gift - peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” May you receive His gift today!
