With Faith, God Will See Us Through
“How can he sleep at a time like this? Someone needs to wake him up!”
I imagine that this may have been a part of the conversation on that boat that day in the middle of the Sea of Galilee.
According to Luke 8:22-25, Jesus and His disciples had boarded a boat in order to cross over to the other side of the sea. After having a very long day, Jesus fell asleep in the boat. As often happens on the Sea of Galilee, a sudden storm came upon them. We are told that the disciples — most of whom were fishermen and accustomed to storms at sea — were scared to death. The wind was tossing the boat side-to-side and the waves were starting to crash in. The seasoned mariners rightly feared they were sinking.
In the midst of this violent upheaval, Jesus remained asleep.
The disciples in a panic woke Him up by saying, “Master, don’t you care that we are perishing?” Jesus arose, and by the sound of His voice stilled the wind and the waves and made the sea calm once again.
Then Jesus said something rather surprising:
“Where is your faith?”
I’m sure that the frightened disciples were trying to keep their faith, but this situation had stretched it to a breaking point. Once the seas were calmed, they realized that there were a few things they had forgotten, and for that reason, their faith wavered.
(Delacroix – public domain)
Many people experience a crisis of faith as they wonder why a loving God would allow life’s storms to happen.
Like the disciples in that boat that day, many of us have found our faith stretched by the coronavirus that is infecting the entire world. Many may have prayed and asked God to bring it to an end. Or they have prayed for family and friends to not be impacted by this pandemic. Still, some have been infected and maybe even died. Others have lost their jobs, and hope seems to be fading quickly. So, like those disciples, we wonder if Jesus has fallen asleep at the wheel, and we question if He really cares.
Like those men in the boat with Jesus, there are things we need to realize.
First, we must remember the Person of God.
Luke tells us that these disciples that had been with Jesus for years still forgot who He really was. They said, “Who is this man that He commands the wind and water and they obey Him!” We too must remember that Jesus is the same God who spoke the world into existence. He is our Shepherd and He is our Friend, but He is also the Almighty God!
Because they forgot the Person of Christ, they also failed to realize the Power of Jesus. Our God is omnipotent; all-powerful. There is no situation that is beyond His control.
This pandemic did not surprise Him (as it did many of us). Even though it may appear as if this situation is spinning out of control, it is all taking place within God’s almighty hands.
The disciples had been caught off guard. Their present situation was so overwhelming that they found it almost impossible to remember the past, let alone not fear the future. But before they entered the boat, Jesus had told them, “We are going to the other side.”
When those in government or science make predictions about this virus, they may be wrong. But what our God says is a Promise. The Plan of Jesus was to go to the other side of the sea and that made it a Promise they could count on. In that circumstance, Jesus made His Plan and Promise clear to His followers.
There are times, like the ones we are facing today, that God’s plans are not so obvious. However, just because we may not be able to ascertain what this is all about, it in no way suggests that God does not have a plan and it is going accordingly. At some time in the future, we may clearly see what God was doing throughout this pandemic. But then again, we may never see or understand it, this side of heaven.
The faith of those in that boat was tested that day so long ago. Our present-day boats may be caught in the waves and in danger of sinking as well.
We may feel as if someone needs to wake God up so that He acts and ends all of this mess. But we need to remember that God never sleeps and is never unaware of even the slightest of our circumstances.
In a sense, we may feel as if life is a puzzle where God has taken away the cover of the box, so we are unable to see the big picture of how it will all fit together. We are left with living our lives one piece at a time. But in the end, our God will place every piece exactly where it needs to be in order to create a beautiful picture.
So for now, may we strive to remember each day, whatever may come – the Person, the Power, and the Plan and Promise of our God! He will see us through to the other side!
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With houses of worship currently closed across much of the nation, the editors of the Baltimore Post-Examiner are inviting an array of spiritual teachers to share insights from the ages along with words of comfort and encouragement. These timely messages are not exclusive to any particular faith walk and will be included in our ongoing Spirituality series.
Dr. Kevin D. Newman (Th.D., M.Div., M.A., B.S.) is the Academic Dean at Faith Bible College in Norfolk, VA. A graduate of Lancaster Bible College (PA), Biblical Theological Seminary (PA), and Conservative Theological Seminary (FL), Newman has served at colleges and churches in Baltimore, Maryland; Palmer, Alaska; Flagstaff, Arizona; and now Virginia.
Great article! Faith is a word we so often hear everywhere. “Just have faith,” “Keep the faith,” “Walk in faith” – these are the common expressions about faith that people throw around all the time.
Please read my blog about The Importance of Having Faith
Thank you. To God be the glory.