“And He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?’” Mark 4:40
When was the last time you experienced fear, worry, or anxiety? It’s probably more recent and more often than most of us care to admit. When life’s troubles disrupt our peace, we need to consider the two questions Jesus asked the disciples during the storm. “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” In other words, Jesus made a direct connection between having peace and having faith.
Like the disciples, we usually blame our circumstances for our lack of peace. That’s because we confuse peace with comfort. But God’s peace isn’t dependent on circumstances. It goes beyond anything we can humanly comprehend. The peace of God gives our minds rest from worry and anxiety. It keeps our hearts quiet, which protects us from trusting in anything other than the Lord (Philippians 4:7). How? “For He Himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14).
The fact that Jesus was sleeping in a raging storm illustrates the point. He wasn’t worried because He was secure in the Father. You see, peace is not the absence of trouble, it’s the assurance that God is present and faithful (Philippians 1:6). So, we experience the most peace when we have the greatest trust.
That means living by faith in the promises of God, based on the character of God. Warren Wiersbe said, “Living by faith means obeying God’s Word in spite of feelings, circumstances, or consequences. It means holding on to God’s truth no matter how heavy the burden or how dark the day, knowing that He is working out His perfect plan.”
Faith is more than salvation. It’s a deep and abiding assurance that God is true, that He is with us, and that He will use any situation for our good (Romans 8:28). Abiding faith in Jesus is the key to having peace. Jesus hadn’t forgotten the disciples; they had forgotten Him! But they only discovered that by crying out (v38). “And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Hush, be still.’ And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm” (v39).
Why are you afraid? If you’ve placed your faith in Jesus for your eternity, then you can certainly trust Him with today. Remember, peace isn’t the absence of adversity or conflict, but the presence of Jesus in the storm. Trust Him. With God there are no hopeless situations.