For today’s meditation let us turn to Mark 4:40, “And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” We all know this story very well. In our life’s journey to the other shore, we too will have troubles and storms but we need to remember that Jesus, the mighty King, is with us in the boat. Jesus who called us into this boat is faithful and is with us. (1 Cor 1:9) In this incident the disciples encountered a testing of their faith. In Mark 3 we read that Jesus had explained everything that the parables meant to the disciples and after this their testing of faith occurred. When the disciples faced the practical examination, they couldn’t stand firm in their faith. The disciples were afraid because they didn’t understand the love that Jesus has for them and of His sovereignty. They couldn’t believe the power of God.
Let us examine our faith when we face difficult situations. We hear a lot from the word of God, but only when it is united by faith that we can stand strong in our trials. In Hebrews 4:2 we read how the word united by faith only is of profit. When we face problems in our life and we fear, Jesus asks us the same question that He asked the disciples, “Where is your faith?” (Luke 8-25).God wants us to have a living faith in our life. He doesn’t want us to be afraid or anxious of any situation. He wants us to be sure of His love for us and His sovereignty. The one who is in us is greater than he who is in the world and God has not given us a spirit of timidity. We need to be strengthened in faith when we face a difficult situation.
In John 16:33 we read, “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” The world around us is abounding in iniquities and problems but we have this great assurance from Jesus. In this new year we may have more problems and tribulations but Jesus encourages us to take courage because He has overcome the world. Jesus has overcome the world and we, by having faith in Him, can overcome the world also. The primary aim of God through a problem is that our faith should be strong, not that the storms are and stilled.
In Romans 4 we read of the faith of Abraham. He didn’t waiver in unbelief but believed in what God had promised. This is a great lesson we can learn from Abraham. In 2 Timothy 1:12, Paul says, “I know who I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what He has entrusted “ In 1 Corinthians 10:13 we read that God is faithful to not let us to go through a temptation that we can’t bear. Along with the temptation, there is always a way of escape. In a gas plant, for a pipe that carries high pressure gas, there is always a pressure-relief valve installed. This pressure relief valve ensures that there is no excess pressure in the pipe and that the pressure in the pipe is only what the pipe can sustain. The pressure relief valve protects the system from danger. Likewise, 1 Corinthians 10:13 is the pressure relief valve of our Christian life. God is faithful!
In the life of Job, he faced a lot of difficulties. But one thing mentioned about him in Job 1:22 is, “Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.” What an example to follow! We shouldn’t murmur or question God’s love for us when we go through a difficult situation. In Psalms 41:11 we read that the way we can know if God is pleased in our life is if our enemy doesn’t triumph over us. In every situation, Satan shouldn’t have victory over us and our God should be pleased in us. May this be the desire of our hearts.
The same disciples, who easily got afraid in Mark 4, spoke boldly after they experienced the power of the Holy Spirit. This shows how much we need to thirst and hunger for the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We did not receive the spirit of fear rather the Spirit of adoption. May God bless us and help us to glorify His name through our lives!
