Luke 8:25
“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.”
The weather can make or break a day. Here in Alabama, we are in the midst of the most perfect weather, cool in the mornings and comfortable during the day with lots of sunshine. We will get this for a couple of weeks before the oppressive heat and humidity return for at least six months. This weekend we have so many outdoor plans including baseball and an outdoor wedding, but the forecast seems to indicate that it will all be affected by rain. There are times when the weather can even cause catastrophic damage to property or lives, doing more than ruining our day.
The opening of Luke chapter eight begins with Jesus teaching His followers the parable of the Sower. Then in verse 22, Jesus instructed His twelve disciples to get in a boat and cross a lake. Jesus fell asleep and a great storm threatened to overtake the boat they were in. The storm came out of nowhere and the disciples were terrified.
How easily we can relate to this situation. We are being obedient, a major life storm comes out of nowhere, and it feels like Jesus is on a break. We may panic, withdraw, or take life into our own hands because of our fear. Our faith can be shaken or even dismissed. We look at our circumstances and can only see the storm raging instead of looking to Jesus who is right there in the boat with us.
It can be so easy to give the disciples grief over their lack of faith. They had been following Jesus for a while and witnessed amazing miracles of healing and heard His teaching of hope and promise, and yet still let fear overshadow their faith in trusting what Jesus could do. Don’t we do the same thing? We can have amazing experiences of miraculous provisions, healing, and experiences in the presence of God, but moments later something unexpected comes along that levels us and we cry out in desperation, “Jesus, wake up! Don’t you care about me?”
In Warren W. Wiersbe’s commentary on Luke chapter eight, he says, “Faith is not believing in spite of circumstances; it is obeying in spite of feelings and consequences. The disciples looked around and saw danger, they looked within and saw fear; but they failed to look up by faith and see God”. We are to trust God no matter our circumstances, feelings, or the consequences of following Him. When we let fear become our focus, it prevents us from focusing on the One who is guiding us.
Isaiah 43:2 tells us:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
Notice it doesn’t say you won’t walk through waters, rivers, or fire. It says, WHEN you do, He will be with you guiding and protecting you.
No matter how faithful and obedient we may be, we still live in a world plagued by sin. Storms happen, plans fail, people leave, and life can become a mess, but we are promised God’s presence and protection. We are commanded to not fear or be anxious because He is merely a breath away in prayer with the future already figured out. Though things may come out of nowhere for us, they aren’t a surprise for God that will catch Him unprepared or ill equipped. He is always with us giving us exactly what we need for that day. Therefore, we can rest secure in the promise that we do not have to fear the storm.
Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.