His Faithfulness Outweighs Our Faithlessness

I cried out in desperation – “Lord, where are you? Why do you seem silent to our pleas when we are so desperate for your help?”

The enemy taunted in response, “Your faith must not be strong enough. You must not be learning the lesson he wants you to learn. He won’t answer your pleas until you…”

What crushing thoughts.

What lies.

And by God’s grace, I “happened” to come across Mark 4 in my reading plan.

In Mark 4, the disciples went out onto the lake with Jesus and suddenly “a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. He (Jesus) was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion.” They cried out, “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die?”

“He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Silence! Be still!.’ The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Mark 4:37-39

I’ve often felt like the disciples being battered by a terrifying storm while Jesus seemed to sleep peacefully. Their words echo my own response at times. “Lord, don’t you care that we’re going to die?” 

On the surface, these don’t sound like words of faith, they sound like words of accusation. But it struck me that Jesus didn’t require perfect faith to hear and answer their cries. He responded when they cried out to him in dependence – even though their words were filled with doubt, fear, and confusion. And we too can cry out honestly, even if our faith feels like it’s hanging on by a thread. 

The difference is crying out AGAINST Jesus vs crying out TO Jesus. A broken and contrite heart he will not despise – even if one’s faith feels weak and vulnerable. 

What amazes me even more is that Jesus mercifully calmed the wind and the waves, despite their lack of faith. His response was not dependent on the strength of their faith, it was dependent on his faithfulness. What a sweet balm that is to my weary heart. And I hope it is to yours as well. 

Today, if you feel weak in faith and weary of crying out, don’t believe the lie that his silence is due to your level of faith. Jesus not only grants our faith by bringing our dead hearts to life, but he sustains our faith. And if he’s silent, it may be that he wants to grow that faith, not punish your lack of it. So keep crying out, asking him to sustain your faith in the unrelenting storms. Keep turning to him in honesty, even if it feels messy and faithless. 

The day will come when the storms cease. And when they do, not only will you see his hand upon your circumstances, you will see his hand upon your heart.

Home is around the corner,

Sarah

You connect with Sarah on Instagram here. 

To read more of Sarah’s writings, you can purchase a copy of He Gives More Grace: 30 Reflections for the Ups and Downs of Motherhood, Hope When It Hurts: 30 Biblical Reflections to help you grasp God’s purpose in your suffering), Tears and Tossings (short evangelistic resource on how God carries our sorrows), or Together Through the Storms (for married couples navigating the trials of life). Lastly, you can now pre-order Sarah’s Pilgrim’s Progress inspired children’s book based on the account of the Prodigal Son, titled “The Long Road Home” (Crossway, October 8, 2024).