DO I REALLY TRUST JESUS?

                I was reading in the gospel of Mark this morning and came upon the following story. 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!" Mark 4:35-41

                We are living in very stormy times. Most of the moral and ethical moorings that have kept us relatively stable have been cut loose. It feels like we are floating free on a stormy sea, being tossed here and there by increasingly larger and more ominous waves. It is all too easy for us to yield to an overwhelming fear and a sense of hopelessness. At times, we even feel abandoned by God.

                The disciples were overwhelmed by the storm they were in. In a panic, they awakened Jesus and challenged his concern for them. Jesus got up, calmed the storm, and then confronted his disciples with stinging words. "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

                As I face the many storms of life, I can identify with the disciples. I often feel powerless to deal with the circumstances swirling around me. More than once, I have felt like I was about to drown. I have pleaded with God to calm the storm; to take away the discomfort and anxiety. As I read the above passage this morning, Jesus’ words to his disciples hit home; in fact they stung. Do you still have no faith?

                The true measure of our faith is not when everything is going well, it is in the midst of the storm. Do we really trust Jesus, when the waves are crashing over the bow of our tiny ship? Do we trust Jesus to guide us through the storm, or do we panic and take matters into our own hands?

                There is no doubt that we are in the midst of a moral and ethical crisis. Every day the storm becomes more intense. Every day we see more and more believers abandoning ship. Now, more than ever, we need to trust Jesus to see us through the storm. Over and over in the Bible, God tells us to not be afraid. Instead, He calls us to trust Him fully, especially when things are black and we cannot see what is ahead.

                When Joshua was perched on the edge of the Jordan River, ready to lead the people of Israel into the Promised Land, Satan attacked him with a bout of fear. At that moment, God spoke words of challenge and encouragement to Joshua; words that we need to hear again today. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

                Jesus has called His church to be light in an ever darkening world. He has called us to stand firm and not give in or give up. We can trust that He will not abandon us. He has already won the final victory. Through the Holy Spirit we have the power within us to stand against the storm.

                I have often found strength in Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4.

    For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:6-9

    Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

                As the storm continues to build around us, will we live in fear, or will we really trust Jesus?

    "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

John 16:33