Read Mark 4:35-41
I Don’t Like Faith Without Sight!
I guess you could say this is Part 2 because we read this passage yesterday. Yesterday I looked at this from Jesus’s perspective. Today I want to look at this from the disciples perspective and see how that relates to us today.
The disciples got into the boats to go to the other side of the sea. Jesus was with them and was exhausted from ministering to multitudes of people. He was actually asleep in the back of the boat and soon a ferocious wind came and the waves were breaking over into the boats. The disciples were overcome with fear. All they could see was death awaiting them. It was a hopeless situation. How could anything save them from this ferocious fearful situation.
But they turned to Jesus for help. That should always be who we turn to. The sad thing is, they went to Jesus but still had no faith that he could intervene. They woke him and said to him, “Jesus, don’t you care that we are perishing?”
Where’s the faith behind that question. It kind of sounds like some of my prayers. I should say, “God I’m so glad you are with me, I am confident that you are in control, and you will take care of the situation.” But nope, instead I fight with him.
If only we could grasp the power of the Holy Spirit that lives within us. Jesus Is with us through his Spirit and dwells within us! All his power is accessible to us so that we can be overcomers in any fearful, anxious, and hopeless situation.
Jesus was able to rebuke the wind and waves and rescue the disciples. He then rebuked them for living in fear rather than in faith.
Remember Doubting Thomas, who refused to believe Jesus rose from the dead. He would only believe if he could actually see and touch Jesus. When he finally saw Jesus he said now I do believe. Jesus says you believe because you see but blessed are those who do not see and yet do believe. Blessed are those whose faith is able to operate when we don’t see Jesus. We turn to the Lord, but we don’t want to operate on faith so we beg and plead God to “show himself!” God I’ll believe you if you could just show yourself. Jesus I’ll believe when you give me a revelation of how you’re going to take care of this in the future. We try to pull every string possible that will give us sight of what is to come. And Jesus is saying, don’t be afraid, have faith. To BELIEVE is to have confidence that he is in control; and he is at work and he will fulfill his desires for our lives and give us hope, value, and purpose.
Forgive me Lord for my lack of faith. Help me understand the power that is available to me in fearful situations. Help me to believe. Help me have faith!
