“Where Is Your Faith?”
“And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, Master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commands even the winds and water, and they obey him.”
Luke 8:24-25
The Gospels talk about a great storm that arose while Jesus and His disciples sailed across the Sea of Galilee. After being awakened by the terrified men, Jesus rebuked the wind and the raging waters, and immediately, there was a great calm.
Jesus was astonished at the state of mind of His disciples in the midst of the storm: He asked them one pointed question: “Where is your faith?” The Lord’s question seems to imply that He knows they have got faith, but where was it at the moment? And this question gives us a key to understanding the nature of faith.
Faith transcends ordinary human reaction, and hence it is not automatic, nor is it a result of reflex thought or action; it is not a matter of feelings alone, but encompasses the whole person, which includes the mind, intellect and understanding. Faith is an activity that must be consciously put into operation. It is a response to truth.
How do we put faith into practice?
The first thing we must do when we find ourselves in extreme difficulty is to refuse to allow ourselves to be controlled by the situation at hand. Faith is a refusal to panic. The disciples panicked in the storm, with the cold, strong winds tossing their craft, the waters flowing in, and they thought they were going to drown and perish. They allowed their predicament to control them, instead of applying their faith and taking charge.
The second step to applying faith is to remind ourselves as Christians of what we believe in and what we know. If the disciples had only considered that Jesus was with them, the same Jesus who turned the water into wine, healed the blind and the lame, raised the dead, fed thousands, and performed many other miracles, they would not have feared. Faith grasps on to the truth and reasons what it knows to be truth.
But there is value even in the weakest faith. With their little faith, the disciples did the right thing in the end. They eventually went to Jesus, knowing that He was able to do something about the threatening situation at hand.
Each of us has been given a measure of faith, and should we find ourselves in the midst of trials and testing, let us take it as an opportunity to put our faith into action, to make our faith clearly manifest, to bring glory to our Lord, as we live our lives on earth.
Reference: D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression, Lowe and Brydone Printers, Ltd, Glasgow, Great Britain, 1965, pp. 134-147.
Image: Christ on the Sea of Galilee, Painting by Eugene Delacroix, circa 1854, in the public domain, courtesy of Wikipaintings.org
lilies, sparrows and grass 
Such truth, Dee. Faith is far more than belief, far more than knowledge. Faith is letting go and holding on at the same time. It is closing our eyes and seeing everything clearly. I love this (and you). ~ Ever, Bobbie
Thank you for such beautiful and profound words about faith. I love how you say it that Faith ïs closing our eyes and seeing everything clearly”. Truly Faith is the evidence of things not seen. Love, Dee
I love how you reminded us that faith is a choice that we make. It’s not about our feelings.
Blessings ~ Wendy
Yes, indeed, faith is also in part making use of our mental and reasoning capabilities. Thank you, Wendy. God bless! Dee
more faith and more strength, is my prayer. i wait too long sometimes to go and wake up the Lord of the storm…and it hurts until i get there. love your post! how many kinds of storms there are.
I join you in that prayer, Lorna. Storms come unexpected just like that day at sea with the disciples, but thankfully the Lord of the Storm, is with us to protect us in the midst of the raging waves. Love, Dee
You know, I hadn’t thought of “even the weakest faith,” that they went to Him in the end. There’s alot of hope in that little paragraph – thanks Dee.
I am so glad you found the jewel of hope in “that little paragraph””, Sandra. Thank you so much. Love, Dee
Well put…the right thing in the end – as well as the beginning or middle – is always to go to Jesus. He’s the One with the wisdom to deliver us. Thank you, Dee, very insightful post!
Lester
Amen, Lester. It is always the right thing to go to Jesus, our great Deliverer, our strong Defender. Thank you, Lester! Dee
Thank.s, Dee. A great reminder
You’re most welcome, John. God bless you! Dee
“Value in the weakest faith…” That really got to me….great reminder. God bless you for sharing this with us.
Thank you, Joseyphina, for your visit and your comment. I am thankful that this post touched you. God bless you and may you have a wonderful weekend!
This only reminds me of how great is the faithfulness of God toward us, that no matter how the measure of our faith, still He continually delivers us from all our shortcomings. Praise our Lord Jesus Christ! ♡ You’re a blessing! 🙂 God Bless 🙂
Yes, indeed… it is difficult to fathom the depths of God’s lovingkindness towards us. Thank you so much for your comments and visit!