Faith for All Conditions
The Lord allowed me an opportunity once to preach a message from Ecclesiastes 3 titled “A God for All Times”. In all the times of our lives, God is present and constant. We go through changes, but He changes not.
Bonhoeffer explains that our faith should be constant like that for the conditions of our lives. When the disciples got into the boat to go to the other side, Jesus started out asleep (See Matthew 8:23-27). And while all was well, the disciples were at peace and secure.
When the winds and waves rose up, the disciples yielded to anxiety. They realized their faith was really false security in good conditions. They loosened their grip on peace, security and had no anchoring point.
Do you remember a time when a trial or storm revealed your lack of faith or that your faith was weak?
Jesus, by contrast, shows us that “only faith can sleep without a care…for sleep is a reminder of paradise” (Bonhoeffer, p. 13). Faith is the overcoming agent that trumps fear and false security. Faith latches on to God and does not let go. Faith has no anchor in the conditions — favorable or unfavorable — or in human potential to bring solutions.
Faith’s anchor is God alone, and there is the freedom from fear. Halleluah.
“For He Himself is our peace…” – Ephesians 2:14a NASB
“And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” – Hebrews 6:11 NASB
Reference: Bonhoeffer, D. (1906-1945). I want to live these days with you: A year of daily devotions. (O. C. Dean, Jr., Trans.). London, England: Westminster John Knox Press.
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