Then He got into the boat and His disciples followed Him.
Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.
But Jesus was sleeping.
The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”
He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”
Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this?
Even the winds and the waves obey Him!”
Matthew 8:23-27
This past weekend Dish Network gave their subscribers a free weekend of HBO and Showtime. I woke up early and watched half a documentary. I was able to watch the whole film later that night. The film was “Terror at the Mall”—a documentary about the terrorist attack that occurred in 2013 at an upscale mall in Nairobi, Kenya.
After the attack, 60 people lay dead, including 12 children. The Muslim attackers were targeting Kenyans and Christians. They basically killed anything that moved. People hid in fear, and many prayed to make it out alive. The last civilian killed, a thirty-something aged woman, answered her captors that she was a Christian when asked. They killed her immediately.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished [my] course, I have kept the faith:
2 Timothy 4:7
The woman kept her faith even though she probably knew she was fixing to die. She was not afraid to tell the gunmen that she was a Christian and followed Christ. She had great faith—a faith that carried her home as she admitted she followed Christ. She was probably afraid, but she had faith. She obeyed her Lord and did not deny Him. Amid great turmoil she still put her faith in Him.
Many people today are losing their faith and turning from God. They are giving into the world’s demands and losing their way. But for those who do not lose their faith, there is a great reward. They will one day be living eternally with Christ and not suffering or living in terror anymore.
* ~ ♥ ~ ✞ ~ ♥ ~ *
Dear Heavenly Father: Our world is crumbling, and many of our brothers and sisters are losing their faith. Please help us show them the way back. Strengthen our faith and give us hope of Jesus’s return. We are the light, and we burn brighter because of Your faith in us and the strength You give. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
About laurapattillo
echoing your prayer, laura <3
Yes, Laura, our world is crumbling. But as you so well said, “for those who do not lose their faith, there is a great reward. They will one day be living eternally with Christ and not suffering or living in terror anymore.”
I, too, am praying that the Lord will strengthen our faith and help us be His light for others to follow.