A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Mark 4:37-40 NIV
“Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” Have you ever asked God the same question? When the storms of life are raging and the waves are breaking hard, that seems to be a common response. But after Jesus calms the storm, he asks two questions of his own, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
It seems that the storms of life become the defining moments of our faith. Why are you so afraid? Fear and faith are opposite responses. Faith comes from a quiet assurance that all will be alright, however it turns out. It comes from a trust in God, so strong, that fear never enters the equation. It’s belief that every storm is part as God’s master plan unfolding in our lives, and can therefore be embraced, rather than feared. It’s anchored in the thought that God is intimately involved in every situation, always in control and only allows us to experience circumstances that lead us where he wants us to go.
Faith allowed Jesus to sleep soundly ignoring the wind and waves. Lack of faith led his disciples to panic and question his love. So how will you respond when the next storm rages in your life? Will you walk in faith or fear?