We often let the storms of life overwhelm us, don’t we? Well, I sure do! In Matthew chapter 8, we see that the Apostles were prone to do the same thing. The boat they were in encountered a storm and they all cried out fear. Before he quiets the storm he asks them a question, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” He spent a lot of time dealing with man’s worries, cares, fears, and failures. And each time he pointed out that they were the result of “little faith.”

In Matthew 6, Jesus points out the birds of the air and the grass in the field and says “If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” When Peter took the courageous step of getting out of the boat and walking on water to Jesus, he let the waves and the storm distract him and began to sink. Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” Then again, when he sees the disciples fail he tells them that it’s because they have such little faith. He says, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Trusting God in the midst of life’s worries, challenges, fears, failures, sicknesses, and cares of every kind is what true faith is all about. When our lives are going along just fine, faith isn’t necessary. It’s idle when our circumstances are to our liking. Only when they are contrary, troublesome, fearful, painful or adverse in any way is one’s faith in God exercised. Like our muscles, they aren’t exercised when idle. But they grew strong and supple with exercise.

Genesis 22 begins with “it came about that God tested Abraham’s faith…” It will come about for you and me also!

Chuck
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” Matthew 5:7