Faith Should Never Depend On Our Circumstances

Word-Of-The-Day: ‘Now Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.’ (Hebrews 11:1)

Often, and for many, the level of Faith depends on how well life is going.  A prime example is, as is often the case, the Apostle Peter in Matthew 14, where Jesus was walking out to the boat the Apostles were on, and Peter – full of Faith as Jesus was going to join them – got out of the boat to walk on the water to meet Jesus.  However, a storm coming had Peter take his eyes off Jesus and his focus became the storm, and Peter began to go under.  We can surmise Peter, who was a fisherman and likely was a good swimmer, panicked and started drowning when Jesus (still standing on top of the water) had to reach down and pull Peter out of the sea. 

We see that as long as things were ‘fair-weather and following winds’, Peter had Faith as he saw Jesus and had confidence.  But as the storm approached, his Faith diminished and suddenly that confidence that he had in Jesus, bolstered by having his life filled with blessings, got jolted whenever a snag (the storm) came into his view.  Now the storm had not hit and did not hit as Peter assumed; the wind may have picked up, but Matthew 14 tells us the wind died down once Jesus (and Peter) got aboard the boat.  Peter’s Faith was shaken by an event that did not occur. 

We need to be aware that our Faith must be stronger than the storm that is approaching.  We may be anxious, and we need to be aware a storm is coming, but we must have the Faith and stay in the Faith that Jesus will provide for us; in our preparations, as the storm hits, and after the storm subsides. 

Don’t lose your Faith over worrying what may happen – or what is happening.  Instead have Faith that whatever predicament that comes our way, Jesus will provide and will be there with us, to go through the storm with us.  That storm may be Ian, or it may be something more personally focused in your life, but Jesus will be there – have Faith!