no faith

Scripture really is timeless. No matter how well I think I know a passage, it still has the power to hit me between the eyes. I think that’s because these are living words that interact with my actual life.

What prompted this train of thought this morning? The familiar story of Jesus quieting the storm in Mark 4:35-41:

“That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 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?’
“They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!’”

It was Jesus’ response to his disciples that got me this morning. “Do you still have no faith?” Suddenly, I could think of half a dozen times this year that I didn’t have much faith. Times I worried instead of trusted. Times I tried to solve things myself. Times I acted as though my future depended on me. Times I judged instead of loved.

Why do I do that? Is it because, as with the disciples, I’m afraid? Do I really think God won’t take care of it? There are only a few reasons he wouldn’t. If he didn’t care, or didn’t know, or just plain couldn’t, then he wouldn’t. But that’s ridiculous; of course he can, of course he cares, and of course he knows. So what do I fear?

I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense, but then a lot of emotions don’t.

So this is my reminder to live in faith. I don’t need to see the future, or understand it. I don’t need to be in control. It isn’t all up to me.

God has already won my victory. All I have to do is live that way.