Luke 8:25 “ ‘Where is your faith?’ he asked his disciples….”
I’m sure you’ve experienced it. You’re reading the scripture when suddenly regular print transforms into italics. Something transpires that causes you to move from simple reading to listening. The Word of God is speaking to you, muting every other sound. You sit up and take notice….
My daily reading had taken me to the eighth chapter of Luke. Jesus and his disciples had set sail on the Sea of Galilee when a violent squall rose. The threat of being capsized created more than a little panic in the disciples. They cried out to Jesus, fearful they were all going to drown. After rebuking the wind and sea, Jesus rebuked the storm residing within the men with the question that bared their souls, “Where is your faith?”
Where is your faith? Those were the words the Lord spoke to me that morning. Was my faith at the same place it had been a year ago? Was it growing? Or just subsisting? Had it weathered the brutal storms I’d encountered? Or was it holding on for dear life?
I don’t think I’m alone. I’ve had some recent conversations with people who are also assessing their faith. People who don’t understand why….why their house hasn’t sold, releasing much needed funds…why their teenager is turning away from God…why another year has passed and there is still no job, no husband, or no change in a broken relationship.
I’ve come to the conclusion that we will not be able to prevail through such “squalls” if our faith is based on anything other than the character and word of God. The answer to where is your faith ultimately rests on what we believe about God. Do we trust that each gut-wrenching circumstance we face grants us the opportunity to say, “I don’t have to understand. I don’t have to control. I entrust it all into your capable hands….”
Jesus asked whether he would find faith on the earth when he returned. I want to be among those whose faith has not been thrown overboard. I want it to be obvious, observable and obedient to His every word. How about you?
Where is your faith?