Where Is Your Faith?

But as they (the disciples) were sailing, He (Jesus) fell asleep. And a fierce gale of wind swept down [as if through a wind tunnel] on the lake, and they began to be swamped, and were in great danger. They came to Jesus and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are about to die!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging, violent waves, and they ceased, and it became calm [a perfect peacefulness]. And He said to them, “Where is your faith [your confidence in Me]?” They were afraid and astonished, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the sea, and they obey Him?” 📖 Luke 8.23-25

It’s really something to have God with you and not realize who really you have with you. It’s astounding even to be in the presence of God and yet be blinded to the power and glory that is before us.

The disciples had been with Jesus for some time. They’d seen Him do wonders and miracles. And yet somehow they thought this situation (a storm) to be too big even for Him. But good for them, it allowed Jesus an opportunity to bring them up to where He was and further reveal His glory and build their faith.

To be clear: Jesus always wants to build our faith. In chastisement or praise, His goal is to build us up making us more into His image (character, ways). I’d imagine that if Jesus were physically present with us today, we’d have a lot of ‘where is your faith?’ moments. The disciples had His presence but they didn’t put their confidence in Him.

He asked them, ‘where is your faith?,’ because it was clear that their faith was not in Him at that moment. So, we see it’s possible to have God with us and still not have our faith in Him. Where was their faith? It was in fear. It was in the worst-case scenario. It was in anything at that moment but Him.

When God calls us up, it’s always to bring us closer to Himself. He wants our faith to be unshakably in Him. And that begins with fully recognizing Who is with and lives in us. Life will never be short of challenges and trials to face. But we always have a choice: faith or fear.

Our hope should never be in just an outcome but in the One who holds all outcomes. God always looks after His own.