The perfecting of the saint is found on the road of hardships. The victories and defeats gained on this road become the bedrock of our praise and the eventual demise of fear.
How important is it for us to conquer our fear? It does not become the son or daughter of the most-High God to fear. There is no basis for it because God is always greater. However, there are times it seems pretty natural to fear. Fear can become a terrible obstacle. If left unchecked, it can cripple us emotionally, putting us in an emotional wheelchair. Even the disciples feared while Jesus was with them. The storm was so fierce that they were taking on water, but Jesus was asleep! In his humanness, I’m sure Jesus was exhausted, but in his divinity, he was not concerned. There is no storm that He cannot calm, whether physical, emotional, or financial… if we go to Him. However, we do not realize that Jesus uses the storms in life to get our attention and bring us closer to Him. He wants us to seek Him out, being confident in His love for us. Yet, we are most like the disciples, “Jesus, do you not care that we perish.”
The Greek text uses the word “mega” for a large, foreboding, threatening storm which they were in. However, they were going to learn an unforgettable lesson necessary for coming to a deeper understanding of who Jesus was. It is the same with us. Unless with go through these kinds of storms, we do not know the greatness of our Lord. They were going to understand that His greatness exceeded any threat they would face.
We need to learn the same lesson. As soon as he spoke peace to the wind and waves, they obeyed. Jesus instantly became something other than a great prophet or teacher. These actions moved the disciples into a deeper understanding of Jesus’ Divinity. The same is true with us. The greater the problem or need, the greater the miracle needed. Once received, the greater our God becomes. This is called the School of Faith. There are no shortcuts, no easy way, and it can’t be textbook learned. It’s the promises of God applied to real-life situations.
Mark 4:37-41
“And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship so that it was now full ( they were sinking)
And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?
And they feared (revered) exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
“Who is this that even the wind and waves obey Him?” The conclusion they were coming to was He was not just a man but also God. So let’s ask a question. Are the fear and anxiety we deal with the problem? Do we have a fear problem, or is it an identity problem? Do we not comprehend the greatness of our Lord? Fear went away when they saw more of His true identity, His Lordship over the winds and waves. Since we are just like the disciples, our fear, anxiety, and worry problems have to do with us not knowing Jesus as we should. There is no surprise there. He must become more significant than our problems. We, like the disciples, have an Identity and a Lordship problem, not a fear or an anxiety problem. In fear, we see the problem as more significant than the Lord, and the Lord takes issue with that.
Mountains look big till you see the sun above, then they don’t look so daunting; it’s all relative to your perspective. So ask yourself, where’s your focus? We know it’s off if we are continually struggling with fear, worry, and anxiety. I do not mean to guilt anybody. I have had my share of fear knocking at my door, but we don’t have to keep fearing. We can choose to change. Some of us are like a revolving door of fear. No sooner does one issue get resolved than another one comes beginning a whole new cycle of fear, anxiety, and worry. As believers in Christ, we are supposed to grow through our trials, not repeat them – but it does take time. Remember that the problems and concerns of the sheep (which we are to Him) are the concerns of the Shepherd (which He is to us). Without a shepherd, the sheep are vulnerable and in grave danger. (Read John 3:16 & 17 to learn how to have Christ become your Shepherd ).
In Psalm 23, David said, “Even though I GO THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, (why?) for THOU ART WITH ME. The realization that the INFINITE CREATOR GOD, with all His power, is with me is where our solution to fear lies. And if knowing that doesn’t change us, then as stated, it’s not a fear problem that we have but an identity and Lordship problem. Get those resolved, and the answer to fear and anxiety will resolve itself. We don’t trust strangers, do we? No, we trust our friends and family that love us. So how can we grow the Lordship of Christ in our life? We need to spend time with Him, grow in our closeness to Him.
Case in point; a pastor was invited over to a couple’s house for dinner. The meal was good, and the evening was pleasant as he counseled them on overcoming life’s challenges by knowing the Lord more intimately. Routine time in His Word was what the pastor encouraged. When the evening was over, the couple thanked him for his heartfelt counsel. Once the pastor had left, the wife could not help notice that the pastor’s fork was missing. She could not figure out why the pastor would take a fork? A year passed, and the couple had the pastor over for dinner/counseling (things hadn’t improved much), and as the evening was ending, they thanked him again for his counsel. However, the wife could not resist asking the pastor if he had taken their fork? The pastor said, no, I put it in your Bible.
Fear, anxiety, and stress will never be conquered if that’s our approach to knowing the Lord. Sunday alone will not do it, nor midweek study. Nothing compares to getting alone with the Lord and reading the Bible for ourselves.
The Lord’s comments on fear:
Isaiah 51:10-13
Art thou not He which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over ( the dividing of the Red Sea as mighty as that was, was only one of many great acts of God).
Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning [and fear] shall flee away (this is a picture of when the Lord rightly takes His place in our lives).
“I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;
And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor ( worries, bills, covid, life in general, etc.) as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?”
God gave us memory so we could recall His acts. His heart towards His people has not changed. His desire is to be crowned on each of our hearts is as strong now as it was then. We answer His question by recalling His acts; Father, you have quenched the fury of the oppressor through your Greatness.
Isaiah 51:15-16
But I am the LORD thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The LORD of hosts is his (My) name.
And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people (His Creation is the signature of His might).
God makes known His feelings towards us. It’s not like when we were dating and wondering if the other person felt the same about us as we felt about them. God puts it out there. He loves us and gave His life for ours, and if we want Him, He’s overjoyed. Recall the father of the prodigal son, “when He saw his son off in the distance, he came running to him and embraced him and threw a party, so great was the father’s joy (you should read it). Well, that father mirrors our Heavenly Father. He makes it easy for us to know that He loves us; there is no question. So once the decision is made to surrender ourselves to Him, the battle to take the “promised land” within our soul begins. Our will lining up to His will is the challenge. The Bible calls it the “flesh or the carnal man.” That is the rebellion that lies within each of us that must be conquered (not negotiated with, but conquered). The prodigal did many stupid and arrogant things before he decided to come home to His Father. He paid the consequences for it, but once he decided to come home, the Father was right there as He is right HERE to help us.
Galatians 5:1
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Galatians 5:16-18
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law but under grace (under the law means you and I obey the law and are judged by that, under grace means we have the Holy Spirit helping us to obey and have His forgiveness when we fail so that we can live sanctified lives).
Therefore, in times of fear, uncertainty, doubt, take action, reread the great acts of God and bring to mind His marvelous works. Use your memory to recall God’s faithfulness to you, starting with your salvation. If you have not accepted Christ, it’s time that you did.
Lamentations 3:21-26
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him ( is the Lord our portion?).
That is what needs to happen. The more that He becomes our portion, the greater peace, joy, and His presence will we enjoy.
The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. The word “wait” comes from a word meaning “to twist or bind oneself around.” Picture the steel cables that are used to support suspension bridges like the Golden Gate Bridge. Multiple strands are bound into one unified strand many times stronger than the individual strand. By our faith and trust, we bind ourselves around Him, and He honors that and intercedes for us.
When Moses sent the twelve spies to go and see the promised land, all but two brought back a negative report; why? They did not recall to mind the great acts of God, nor did they consider the character of their God. God Almighty Promised them the land. They instead chose to believe their eyesight. They saw the problems as greater than God, consequently losing heart and courage to fight. If we have big problems, it’s because we believe in a small God. However, believing in a Big God equals small problems. This is still true even though the problems in both cases are the same.
Unfortunately, our first reactions are to “mediate” upon the problem instead of meditating on the greatness of our God. The Bible says that Israel was acquainted with God’s acts. However, Moses was acquainted with God’s ways. Moses spoke with God as a man speaks to another man. Moses knew the character of God, as we should because of The Cross. He held nothing back to redeem us back from sin. No price was too much to pay for you or me. He leaves the ninety-nine to seek and restore the one. What is the value of that one?
Matthew 18:12
How think ye? If a man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?
Psalms 103:7
He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
The disciple’s hearts were hard and slow to believe. I am concerned that we are similar. All the spies saw the same land, the same people, the same walled cities, and ten were put to flight and brought back a bad report to the congregation. Two were ready to go in and conquer. Who would I be, who would you be? I would hope that all of us would be like Joshua and Caleb. The bad report spread to the whole camp, causing them to lose heart and speak very foolishly of the Lord their God. Lack of faith destroys opportunities and negatively impacts our families and relationships, and our future. If you struggle with having faith, are you sure you want to continue to struggle? Would it not be far wiser to spend time in the Bible, become acquainted with God’s ways, and grow your faith?
Deuteronomy 1:26-27m
Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against — the commandment of the LORD your God:
And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated — us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver — us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us.
Deuteronomy 1:34-35
And the LORD heard — the voice of your words, and was wroth, and swore, saying,
Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see — that good land, which I swore to give unto your fathers,
“Hated us,” is such strong language for all that God had done for them.
Let’s review what the Israelites had seen the Lord do up to this point. We’re going to exclude all the miracles God did in Egypt and start with the parting of the Red Sea. They saw God provide water several times, once from a rock. They were given quail in abundance, daily manna, military victories, etc., so it’s not like they hadn’t seen some incredible miracles. Seeing the Red Sea being divided should have been enough on its own! Now include all the plagues in Egypt, and they truly had no excuse not to believe.
The two faithful witnesses saw God’s acts like the others, but their hearts were soft, so each act they saw revealed to them God’s might and His character and love for them. They were convinced that God could and would fulfill His promises.
The ten saw the same acts, but they never saw God’s character because of their hard hearts. We do the same, and we can even develop a sense of entitlement as if God owes us. Entitlement kills faith; gratitude grows faith.
Many of us have aches and pains, and some feel we are entitled to answers to our prayers of healing. We are only entitled to judgment. However, because of The Cross and His great love for us, we have standing, or presence with Him. His presence alone should make us eternally grateful. Anything more speaks of His abundance towards us. His goodness should be the motivation to know God better. All the promises of God find their yes and Amen in Him.
Romans 2:4
Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God ( should) leadeth thee to repentance ( and into a deeper walk with Him).
In ending, have you ever wondered why Jesus scolded the disciples? We discussed it here, but there is one other clue found in Christ’s own words, can you find it?
Mark 4:35-38
Jesus Calms a Storm (Matt. 8:23-27; Luke 8:22-25)
And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.
And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
Do you see it?
“Let us pass over unto the other side.”
He stated His intentions. No storm, despite its size, would prevent His Words from coming true. They were going to the other side by Divine Decree, and His promises are His Divine Decree for us.
Dear Father God,
Thank you for your message. Cause us to live life according to your Word and according to your person as The Giver of Life. Please help us to stay singularly focused and learn to see and interpret life from the point of faith. To see with eyes, heart, and mind that are being redeemed; thinking, seeing, and being different because of You. That people will take note and say he or she has been with Jesus.
Thank you and Amen,
Go in His Grace and Strength – Arthur
Acts 4:13
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
With love,
Arthur