Jesus Calms the Storm
“That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down, and it was completely calm.
He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Mark 4:35-41
Growing up in the '70s, a common phrase we used was Hang in There. The idiom was an informal and friendly expression that people used to encourage someone not to give up, to be persistent or stay calm, not to lose hope, and keep fighting even though it is challenging. A common depiction was a poster of a cat holding onto a tree branch expressing a determination to “hang in there.” Synonyms of Hang in There are Be Patient; Don’t Lose Hope; Stay the Course and Hang Tough, or, more importantly, Keep the Faith. The true meaning of Keep the Faith is much bigger than the '70s jargon.
Too often, we look at what we are experiencing and cannot fathom how it will work out, but that's exactly when we need to place the situation into the hands of Jesus. Faith means we believe that God will work them together for good, no matter how bad things look.
Living a life of faith will take you to a level of faith where trusting in the ability of God will be your first response to any situation or circumstance in life without depending on this world's system or your ability.
When you live by faith, you are saying that you believe God is real and that He is good. You trust He loves you and has a plan for your life. You trust He will provide you with everything you need in life, including the ability to make wise decisions.
Living by faith means you don't live in fear. It means what-ifs, doubts, and worries don't rule you. You know God will never leave or forsake you, and He will care for you even when you make mistakes but living by faith requires time with Him. Spending time with God has the same expectations as other valued relationships. For example, Christ is depicted as the bridegroom, and the church is depicted as the bride. It involves time spent together with one another. How long do you think a marriage would last if a husband and wife only spent a couple of hours a week with each other? Not very long. I wouldn't even call that a marriage. Spending time alone with a loved one provides the opportunity for undying trust and faith in that person. It’s our responsibility to develop that relationship with God. He did His part when Jesus died on the cross, allowing us unlimited, unrestrained access to Him. Jesus gave up everything, voluntarily and selflessly sacrificing Himself for us to have eternal life. That is the greatest example of compassion in all of history. The cross is the place to recognize the depths of God’s love and mercy for us and the overwhelming reason to have trust and faith in Him.
The '70s were a great time to be a teenager, and I have great memories. Whatever jargon we used, it was to make someone feel better. Hopefully, the underlying meaning was to have faith in Jesus. I pray that we trust Him and live an abundant life as intended.
Blessings,
Peggy Zumhofe
Executive Pastor
