Is My Faith Being Tested During A Storm In Life? - Christian Perspectives
Storms create much interest and at the same time can generate fear. A storm at sea serves as an illustration in our scripture verse for today. It illustrates the storms that come against us. With that in mind, we must ask ourselves this question. Is my faith being tested during a storm in life?
When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Matthew 14:32
The prophet Isaiah wrote that God’s ways are not our ways. We definitely saw that in the life of Jesus. He was not controlling, but He was always in control. There was never a doubt about that.
He has never limited Himself into any certain pattern of how he does things except for salvation. And He was quite explicit when He told His disciples that He was the only way to the Father.
He didn’t and still doesn’t use the same methods for healing or deliverance. He fills people with the Holy Spirit using different methods. However, He does use the same initial physical evidence to confirm it.
Our verse for today is a report of the sea calming down after Jesus walked on the water. This gives us another glimpse of his creative ways of doing things. Let’s investigate what I’m talking about.
How the Disciples’ Faith was Tested
The book of Matthew reports two instances of Jesus calming a storm. The first is in chapter 8.
Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!” Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm. Matthew 8:26
In this verse, Jesus rebuked the storm. Mark’s report of this same event also exhibited the authority of Jesus.
When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Mark 4:39-40
In the story we are looking at today, Jesus said nothing to the storm. He simply walked through it and got into the boat like it wasn’t even there. Then the storm just quit!
Recently we spent a week at a Maryland shore. During that time, we experienced a day of rain, winds, and extremely rough waves. The ocean that day demonstrated its fury. I only walked as far as the sand dune. There was no way I was getting any closer.
When storms arise in our lives, they can be just as intimidating and fearful. Unless of course, we go through them with Jesus by our side. Keep in mind though, it’s up to Him on how He will handle them.
When the Lord was sleeping in the boat, he calmed the storm. In today’s verse, He walked through the storm. He even invited Peter to join Him amid the storm.
Storms are a Test of Our Faith
Both storms revealed a common denominator, but it had nothing to do with the storms whatsoever. The storms of life are really just the circumstances we find ourselves in.
When He calmed the storm when in the boat he said this to His disciples. “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!”
When Peter began to sink after taking his eyes off of Jesus, He said. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
The similarity between the two is faith or the lack thereof. No matter what comes our way in life, we must completely trust Jesus to see us through. He will never let us down.
Read this related post called How To Supplement Your Faith In God.
If you do turn your focus onto the storm becoming engulfed in it, call out to Him. He will reach out to you, pull you up, and walk with you to safety;
Lord, when the storms in life come and our faith is tested, sometimes we focus on the elements and lose sight of you. Give us the whereabouts to reach out for your hand just like Peter did.
Check out the entire chapter by reading Matthew 14.
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