Fear Not, Have Faith

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Fear Not, Have Faith

By Larry R. Lasiter

© 2010

"And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. And they came to He and woke Him, saying, -‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing!’ He said to them, -‘Why do you fear? Where is your faith?’ Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm." Matthew 8:23-26

Jesus and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee when this great storm arose. This tiny sea is only 8 miles wide and 14 miles long and is subject to sudden tropical storms because it is 700 feet below sea level. Though small, the Sea of Galilee can be a dangerous place.

 Jesus used this incident to teach His disciples to release their faith. The Bible says that every person has been given a measure of faith. Jesus once said that even little faith, as tiny as a mustard seed has the power to move a mountain.

Fear is a choice. When Jesus asked, "Why do you fear?" He was making the point that they had received this emotion by choice. We cannot prevent the initial feeling of fear, but we can choose to not receive it. Fear must be met on the same battleground as the temptation of sin. Jesus connects fear with missing faith and the Bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God. The writer of Hebrews tells us that we must believe that God will do exactly what He has promised.

Jesus often told His followers to fear not, and in our text here He asks them why they were afraid. The second question, -"Where is your faith?" gives us important insight to the problem of fear. Jesus was teaching His disciples that they were in fear because they were not standing in faith. Where faith is in charge fear cannot do its work.

On His last Passover Jesus spoke tenderly to His disciples saying, - "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me." After the resurrection the Lord appeared to His disciples and each time said, "Peace be to you." Where there is fear there can be no peace so Jesus could have just as easily said do not fear. Let us learn not to be troubled by trouble and stand in faith without fear.

 

 

 

Points of Truth Ministries