Text: Jesus said, “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22).
What does it mean to have faith?
Does it mean that you believe in something without a shadow of doubt?
Does it mean you are so sure in something or someone that you would be willing to give up your life because you believe so strongly?
The American Heritage Dictionary gives this definition of faith: “Faith is a confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing. It is a belief that does not rest on logical proof of material evidence.”
Jesus said, “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22). In order to have faith in God, we must be a believer. We must believe that God has always existed and will continue to exist. We must believe that He created us as well as everything else we have.
We believe the words of John when he said, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1-4).
We must believe that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
When we believe these things, we realize we cannot save ourselves. Since we cannot save ourselves, what is our destiny? We are only going to live on earth for a certain number of years, but what is our future after we die.
This is where faith comes into play. We place our faith and trust in the only Person who can save us, and that person is none other than God Himself. “Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 124:8).
When we place our faith in God, trust Him with all of our heart, and realize He is our help, we will always be a victor and not a victim. The things that seem too great for us are nothing to God. The mountains of difficulties that stand before us will not hold us back because God is our helper.
There is no depth or width of trouble waters that we will not be able to cross because of our faith and trust in Almighty God. Paul said to the Romans, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
God wants the best for His children. All we have to do is place our faith in Him. We can believe Him by reading His Word and taking it as truth. We can believe Him by listening to others as they speak His Word to us. We can sing hymns written in His honor. We can accept His love and believe that our destiny is with Him in His heavenly mansion just over the hilltop.
We place our faith, our confidence, our hope, our belief and our total conviction that God loves us so much that “He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Story: “Seeing – and Believing”
Two children were playing on a hillside, when they noticed that the hour was nearing sunset, and one said, wonderingly: “See how far the sun has gone! A little while ago it was right over that tree, and now it is low down in the sky.”
“Only it isn’t the sun that moves; it’s the earth. You know, Father told us” answered the other. The first one shook his head. The sun did move, for he had seen it, and the earth did not move, for he had been standing on it all the time.
“I know what I see,” he said triumphantly. “And I believe Father,” said his brother. So mankind divides still – some accepting only what their senses reveal to them, the others believing the Word of God.
--------------Christian Herald
There are people today who place their faith only in what they can see. Faith does not involve something that is visible. God’s word says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
Remember being a child and waiting for Christmas to come. How did you feel? I remember how anxious I was Christmas Eve. I had a difficult time going to sleep. I went to bed early, but that only made the night longer. I knew I would get the usual things; socks, underwear, pants, shirt and so on. I usually wanted something special, but there was always the possibility I would not get it. I placed my faith in Santa Claus believing he would bring what I asked for.
I had never seen the real Santa Claus, but I just knew he existed. Let’s look at God through the same lens. I have never seen God, but I know He exists. I have not always received what I prayed for, but I received something better. I place my faith and trust in God whom I have never seen, but I know He has never let me down.
I am sure and I am certain that God is who He says He is. I am sure and I am certain that He will do everything He says in His word. Every promise He makes will always be fulfilled. I may not see some of the things He talks about come to fruition or fulfillment, but I have faith in God that they will.
It is difficult for some people to believe that God created the world and everything in it. They believe that things just came together at the right time and the earth was created. Science seems to be more real to them because it involves things that can be seen.
The truth of the matter is God created everything science uses. Science and faith go hand-in-hand because without God, there would be no science. Without God, mankind would not exist.
We don’t understand everything and that is alright. We believe many things because we can see them, but there are many things we cannot explain. Listen to this little story.
Story: “Sheep, Calves, and Such”
A young gentleman of very profound intellect and high culture announced to a group of friends in Missouri one day that he would believe nothing that he could not understand.
An old farmer chanced to overhear the remark and, turning to the young man, said: “As I was riding into town today, I passed a hill on which some sheep were feeding. Do you believe it?”
“Yes, replied the young man.
“Not far from the sheep,” said the farmer, “some calves were feeding. Do you believe that?”
“Yes, I believe that.”
“Not far from the calves, some pigs were feeding. Do you believe it?”
“Yes,” was the reply.
“Not far from the pigs some geese were feeding. Do you believe that?”
“Yes.”
“Well,” said the farmer, “the grass that the sheep ate will turn into wool; the grass that the calves ate will turn into hair; the grass that the pigs ate will turn into bristles; and the grass that the geese ate will turn into feathers. Do you believe that?”
“Yes,” the young man answered promptly.
“Do you understand it, though?”
“No,” the young man replied.
“Young man,” said the farmer, “if you live long, you will find that there are a great many things you will believe without understanding.”
-------------Our Hope
People say they do not understand the Word of God because it is too hard or too complicated. There are parts of the Bible that none of us understand, but that does not mean it is not true. The more we read, the more God will reveal to us.
Proverbs 4:5 says, “Get wisdom, get understanding: do not forget my words or swerve from them.” If any of us wants wisdom, knowledge, understanding or insight, we must go after it.
Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7, 8).
Some people will look for God and after searching give up and conclude that He does not exist. They are looking for someone they can see. They say they can’t find God so how can they get to know Him? God cannot be seen, so it takes something else to find Him and believe in Him. That something else is called “faith”.
Scripture tells us, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3). We don’t need to try and explain anything God has created. We just accept the fact it is His creation.
There are times when events happen in our life that we cannot explain. When our second was born, one lung did not inflate and the other one had a hole in it. The doctor said he would have to be transferred to University Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. While waiting for the preparation of the paper work and other necessary actions, we prayed as well as a number of other people, and the lung that was deflated inflated and the hole miraculously closed. He did not need to be transferred. God works in mysterious ways.
We placed our faith in Almighty God knowing that He would do what was right and what was necessary. There was no doubt in our mind that God would intervene. We didn’t doubt; we didn’t question; we didn’t try to explain, but by faith we trusted God.
“Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). If we conscientiously and carefully seek God, believe His word, and follow His word, He will certainly reward us in a way we least expect and at the most opportune time in our life. God is good!
“Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, ‘Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.’ And they launched out” (Luke 8:22).
Notice the words, “He got into a boat with His disciples”. Does that tell you anything? You have heard and have read that Scripture many times, but have you ever thought about those 8 words?
These words tell me that whenever Jesus tells us to do something, He will be with us. Whatever the voice of God tells us to do or wherever the voice of God tells us to go, God will go with us. He never expects us to do anything alone. Everything He asks us to do, He has already done.
When He told the disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake” they had nothing to fear. They did not question Jesus. The weather was fair and the lake was quiet. The disciples followed His command and launched out into the water.
Jesus had been teaching and preaching all day and by this time, He was tired. After the disciples launched the boat and moved toward the other side, Jesus decided to lie down in the boat and rest. In my mind I am thinking He had a purpose in taking this nap. I believe He was going to open the eyes of the disciples by an event that was about to happen.
The sea they were sailing was the Sea of Galilee. This sea is known for its ferocious and violent storms that come up suddenly. I would guess the disciples knew this fact, but just didn’t think about it at this particular time. Some of the disciples were skilled and knowledgeable fishermen. They had been in storms before and knew how to maneuver the boat. This trip was going to be just a little different.
“And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy” (v. 23). The waves were high and water was coming into the boat. Perhaps this storm was greater than any they had ever been in. Maybe they were more concerned because “the Master” was in the boat with them. Whatever the reason, it was obvious they were in deep trouble. They had reason to be afraid.
There are times in our life when we are afraid. We are afraid when we get bad news from the doctor. We are afraid when one of our children or loved ones is traveling the wide road of life and living worldly.
We are afraid to travel upon the highway because something might happen. We are afraid that some terrorists might create an act causing destruction and the loss of life. What are we to do?
We said that Jesus is always with us in the Person of the Holy Spirit. He said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). If we believe this and accept this by faith, then we have nothing to be afraid of or nothing to fear. Right!
The disciples were afraid when the storm rocked the boat because they thought they might perish. The Master was with them, but appeared to be asleep.
Do you suppose Jesus might just have been testing their faith by giving them the impression that He was asleep? Think for a moment and ponder the storm. Who brought about the storm? Is it possible Jesus brought about the storm for the specific reason of testing their faith?
Don’t you think Almighty God does the same thing to us? He is not being mean to us, but He wants to be sure that He is number One in our life and we place our faith and trust in Him. He can only help us if we trust Him.
When the storm began to toss the boat to and fro, the disciples called to the Master saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” (v.24).
When the disciple called to Jesus, guess what? That is right! He heard them and He arose. After he arose, He rebuked the storm. The wind ceased, the waves disappeared and the water became calm just as it had been when they boarded the boat.
What did the disciples do? They brought their concern and in this case their fear to the Lord. Their fear was real and their calling was sincere. He never intended for them to perish, but Jesus did come up with one question. Jesus’ question to them was: “Where is your faith?” (v.25)
There are times Jesus asks us that same question. We may not even know when He asks us because we are not on the same wavelength with Him. When the sea of life upon which we are sailing becomes rough, we think God is not interested in our problems.
We forget that He is with us at all times, just as He was with the disciples in the boat. We need to do just as the disciples did. We need to call upon Him through prayer. His line is never busy. He will never put us on hold. He knows what we are experiencing before we even ask for His help.
The disciples asked the question, “Who can this be?” (v.25). As a child of God we don’t have to ask this question. We have accepted Jesus as our own personal Lord and Savior and He is with us in the Person of the Holy Spirit.
We have accepted Him by faith. We have placed all trust in His Word. We are obedient to His Word. We live by the words in red. Through daily reading of His Word, we find out more and more about Him. Our faith is in the Lord who made heaven and earth.
Conclusion:
Story: “Learning”
“You will never learn faith in comfortable surroundings. God gives us the promises in a quiet hour; God seals our covenants with great and gracious words, then He steps back and waits to see how much we believe; then He lets the tempter come, and the test seems to contradict all that He has spoken. It is then that faith wins its crown. That is the time to look up through the storm, and among the trembling, frightened seamen cry, ‘I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.’”
----------------From Streams in the Desert
by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman
The disciples learned their faith in the storm. We learn our faith when we face trials and tribulations that bring us to our knees.
We learn to “Walk by faith and not by sight”
(2 Corinthians 5:7).
Amen.
