“Faith is the unwavering trust in the mercy and goodness of God regardless of situation or circumstance.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – October 29, 2022
One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?” Luke 8:22-25, ESV
The life of faith requires courage to begin following Christ and courage to continue following him, no matter what comes your way. In fact, courage is a vitally important virtue in the life of the believer, and its importance only grows as the years pass by. The more you encounter the brokenness of our world, the more courage is needed, enabling you to stand firm and persist in hope to the very end.
In many ways, the calming of the sea in Luke 8 is a snapshot of the entire journey of life. In Christ’s invitation, we are given the entire meaning and purpose of life: “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” Jesus invites us to cross from this present age into the age to come, to pass from a world of shadow into the land of everlasting light, journeying with him as our captain and faithful guide. And to this invitation the disciples boldly respond in the affirmative, setting out from the comfort of the shore into the unknown of the deep.
Knowing life is hard and throws us curveballs in an abstract and intellectual way is one thing. Encountering those difficulties is something else altogether! It’s difficult to know that your parental heart will be broken as you see your children suffer. Yet true courage is needed when those moments actually come and you find yourself consoling an inconsolable child. We long to believe that the Lord will meet our every need, yet when you are unexpectedly laid off from work, that belief is tested in a new way. It’s easy to say “till death do us part” on your wedding day, yet to trust that God is present in your marriage after years of emotional neglect or broken promises is infinitely more difficult. We all know that our own parents will age and need end of life care, yet journeying with a dying mother or father in their final days requires an entirely different level of courage.
The disciples knew their journey with Jesus had the potential for storms and surprises. Yet when that potential became reality, their faith crumbled. “We are perishing!” they cried. Perhaps you can relate to this emotion more than you care to admit? I know I can. Faith is the unwavering trust in the mercy and goodness of God regardless of situation or circumstance.
There is never a moment in which you are unable to trust God, no matter how desperate or dire your situation may be. Even in life’s greatest storms, Christ is with you and will never abandon you. And when you and I forget this great truth, he looks at us and asks, “Where is your faith?,” not in judgement or condemnation, but as a loving invitation to once again place our trust in him and sail through the storm with courageous faith.
Prayer
Father, give us the gift of courage, placing our faith in you, not just when life is easy, but especially in times of great trial and testing, we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Application
Pray these words today as a “breath prayer,” breathing in courage and breathing out fear: “Jesus, you are stronger than the greatest storm. I place my trust in you.”
Related Reading
1 Chronicles 28:20; John 14:27; 1 Corinthians 15:58
Worship Resource
Brian Johnson: We Will Not Be Shaken
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