Even at the moment of their perishing, Our Lord wondered at the disciples’ fear – their ‘lack of faith’. How He must marvel at mine over absolutely NOTHING but dread of future times…
The apostles were about to be swamped, and drown, in the storm; and so they awakened Jesus. Yet He believed that even THAT was not enough cause for them to fear…
Matthew 8:23-26. He got into a boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by waves; but he was asleep. They came and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?” Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm.
These days, I often find myself concerned about the growing hostility to our faith. It is something that I have been warning about for over 10 years. Back then, I was one of only two Christians on a Human Rights Bar committee fighting against the growing power, intolerance – and hostility toward Christianity – of the ‘gay rights’ movement. I believed that this movement would grow stronger and stronger – and when the time was right – try to destroy the Church. Today, everywhere I look, it is happening. And so I worry. I worry about the freedoms of faith for my children – let alone my grandchildren. In just 10 short years, there have been such outright attacks on Christians that would have been unimaginable in the prior 100. And people continue to sleep on. We now have in the US, a President who has vowed to bring the power of the Government to bear against those of the Christian faith who follow their conscience – and there is not a national outcry by ALL citizens.
Having taught the time period of WW2 in my classes, I have studied the slow rising of Nazism in Germany. It began with a popular ‘President’ who conveniently found a segment of society to scapegoat. That segment just so happened to be God’s chosen people – so the forces of darkness were all too happy to work people up to jump on that bandwagon. And we all know the result.
So these thoughts…. worry me. And yet, if a sinking boat and imminent death is any indication – My Lord’s words to me would be: “Why are you terrified, O you of LITTLE FAITH?”
For the answer to my fears is not hard to find. It is located in the Second Psalm.
Psalm 2: 2-4 “Kings on earth rise up and princes plot together against the LORD and against his anointed one….. The one enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord derides them…”
And so, once again, I find myself saying: “Forgive me, Jesus, for having such little trust in You. Forgive me, Jesus, for forgetting that YOU are GOD… I believe, Lord, please heal my unbelief…”