fear and faith

January 23, 2008

Daily Office, ESV

Isaiah 45:18-25; Eph. 6:1-9; Mark 4:35-41

40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?”
41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
(Mark 4:40-41)

They, we, fear the storm and perishing in it's fury,
and they, we, fear God who is more powerful than the storm
(this not necessarily the good "fear of the Lord," though perhaps it is).

So many questions in this short passage. Do you not care? Why still afraid? Have you not faith? Who is this??
Whatever "storm" is blowing us about, buffeting us, stirring up, whipping up our hearts, we tend to be anxious or fearful that we will lose something - our life, our dream, our identity, our comfort. We will be diminished, or lose the control (which we never had), or experience pain. All is in question.

And yet, Jesus promises to be with us always, and to never leave or forsake us. He indeed is with us in the storm.

I guess the question at the bottom of it all, the question that may reveal the presence of faith in the midst of the fear is "Do you not care that we are perishing?" Do we fear a storm, and/or a god, who does not care? Who randomly displays power, sometimes for good, sometimes for ill? Or do we fear a God, manifest in Jesus the Christ, who is both more powerful than the storm, and who tenderly cares that we not perish? Who came and gave up his life precisely because God loves us so much that, believing and trusting in him, we should not perish?

Yes, it's important and helpful to identify the source of anxiety or fear I'm experiencing, but not to dwell on it or submit to, but bring it face to face with the One who is Lord and Lover of all. And to choose what/who I will fear - Jesus who cares so much that he faced this fear of perishing, entered into the eye of the storm, and went down, dead and buried, and who in his rising and in his reigning says,

"Peace, be still. I care. I care that you live, fully, freely, forever
in me"

+ + + + +

“Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant!”
(Psalm 35:27)

21 And there is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is none besides me.
22 “Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 By myself I have sworn;
from my mouth has gone out in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
‘To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear allegiance.’
(Isaiah 45:21-23)