I have always wanted to learn from the best. To sit at their feet and absorb their knowledge, pick their brains, get lost in the aura of their presence. We get the privilege of doing that, every time we look and read The Gospel. We get to learn,absorb, and grow our faith at the feet of "The Master"
The next time you read The Gospels, I want you to absorb how Jesus handles every situation. His faith is a calming force, constantly at work, in every situation. There is never panic, there is never worry, not even with all the brutality of the cross. Jesus faith and absolute trust in His Father, never let Jesus down.
God will test our faith, so that our faith will grow in Him. God doesn't do these testings for His knowledge, because He already knows us, better than we know ourselves. He allows these tests of faith, so that we, His people, can know and measure our faith in Him.
It seems that Jesus was constantly asking His disciples, where is your faith. We see this most dramatically on The Sea of Galilee, Jesus and His disciples are crossing the sea in a ship, when a fierce storm arises.
I want you to realize two important factors from this story. Number one, Jesus had already given His disciples power to cast out demons and heal the sick, so power isn't in question, their faith is. Second, if the disciples truly believed that Jesus was the Messiah, nowhere in scripture, does The Messiah, perish at sea.
The disciples wake Jesus in a panic, afraid of perishing in this terrible storm.
Picture this with me, Jesus gets up and says "Peace be Still" and the storm ceases. Realize that the storm and the wind knew His voice. Jesus would not have to yell "Peace be Still" as you see in most movies depicting this scene. I picture Jesus saying this without raising His voice, as calm as He wants the storm to become, "Peace be Still"
Then Jesus turns to His disciples and says, "Where is your faith?"
I wonder, how many times Jesus has asked us the same thing. We are in a panic, worried, anxious, wondering what to do. We have the Power of God in us and around us at all times, as His Children. We have the example of Jesus, never being in a hurry, never being in a panic, about anything. When I get this way, and finally stop and turn it over to God. I can picture, "The Master" calmly standing in front of me, with a little smirk on His Face, staring into my eyes and asking, "Where is your Faith?"
Christians are supposed to be a calming influence on the world we live in. We know God, The Creator. we know He holds our past, present and future, in the palm of His Hands. If we, God's Children, can't be calm when life's storms overtake us, how are those that don't believe in a all powerful God supposed to react.
Remember "Peace be Still"