It’s understandable to be afraid in situations like the COVID-19 pandemic. Even when we take all the proper precautions, we can still find ourselves in danger. For the Christian, trouble isn’t a matter of “if” but “when.” Jesus assures us that, in this life, we will have trouble. What remains to be seen is how we will respond to that trouble when it finds us.
Will we give in to fear? Or will we keep our eyes on the God who overcomes?
In Matthew 8:23–27, Jesus and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee when a furious storm threatened to sink their boat. Despite having Jesus with them, the disciples were dreadfully afraid. This response to trouble leads to Jesus saying, “You of little faith.” It’s not the response to trouble we want to emulate.
An opposite response is found in Acts 16:22–26. After angering a mob, Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison, their feet locked in shackles. But despite being helplessly at the mercy of people who hated them, they lifted their voices in hymns of praise to God. Oh, to live so much in God’s presence that we could sing while in chains like Paul and Silas!
In both of these examples, the people in danger were miraculously rescued. The disciples were saved when Jesus stood and calmed the storm. Paul and Silas were saved when God sent a miraculous earthquake to set them free. The difference between these stories is that Paul and Silas had immense faith while the disciples struggled with their little faith.
It’s important to remember that fear never shows us the whole picture. It blinds us to the reality that Jesus is always with us. Faith, on the other hand, is built on this reality.
How is your faith today?
