"Where is Your Faith?"

(This was written on June 7)

The other day I read a passage I have read and heard several times. However, God continues to speak in news ways and use his word differently to apply to my life at present. Luke 8: 22-25 talks about when Jesus and his disciples were in a boat and there was a great storm. Jesus was asleep and his disciples became afraid and in a panic woke Jesus up to tell him they were perishing. Jesus, with all power and authority, stands up, rebukes the storm, and tells it to be still. Jesus turned to his disciples and asked them a simple, yet humbling and daunting question: “where is your faith?”

As this week went by, I could not stop hearing that question: “where is your faith?” When the winds and waves start crashing, when I can no longer stand in the power of myself, where will my faith be? Will it be anywhere to be found? When a blind lady comes to my triage station, am I going to write “blind” on the piece of paper and continue to ask what other problems she has, or am I going to stop and explain to her that we cannot do anything to help her, but God brings healing and pray with her right there? What about the next time something else happens? Where will my faith be?

Looking out the triage window

This past week, I was able to meet a man who, when waves were crashing and winds were blowing, his faith was present, and by the grace of God, I had the humbling gift to be part of it:

Jon is in his early twenties and lives in the village of Mureru where we were serving this past week. His father is an alcoholic and beat his children so almost all of them have moved out and fallen into alcoholism themselves. Jon has stayed at home faithfully serving and farming but it has not been successful and his family and their farm is struggling. Somehow he had heard that we were in the village and he came and asked for some people to come to his house to pray over it and his family. We walked about two miles before we arrived at his house where we sat and heard about his family and the grasp that Satan had on them. We were able to lead him, his mom, and his friend in dedicating their lives to the Lord then prayed over them for a while. Jon knew that God was capable of answering prayer. That night, he was filled with the Holy Spirit and his countenance beamed the change that had taken place. 

Jesus had to look at his disciples and ask where their faith was. He’s had to look at me and ask me where my faith was, but, that night, He knew where Jon’s faith was. It was present. It was completely invested and trusting in the ability of God to move and answer prayer.

So I ask you, brother… I ask you, sister… Where is your faith? When waves crash around you and winds blow strong against you, where will your faith be? Will it be present and in Jesus or will it be nowhere to be found?

God is doing so much! He is revealing himself and new ways and showing his incredible power! He has knit this team together in such an amazing way! This team is made up of people from all over: Alaska, Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama, etc. but the bond of Christ has brought us together as brothers and sisters. At the same time, Satan has tried to attack in so many different ways! Please keep praying! Our God is bigger and has already overcome!