Where is your faith?Luke 8:24-25, “And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.”

A story is told about a circus performer who walks among the crowd after successfully walking across the high wire suspended above a gorge, and asked, “Do you believe I can go across pushing a wheel barrow?” The crowd chanted, “Yes! Yes!” Then stone silence fell as he prepared the wheelbarrow for the narrow journey and not a word in answer came when he asked, “Now, who would like to ride?”

Corresponding action is the ONLY indicator of unfeigned faith.

The Bible records a question that is often quoted, but seldom answered. “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? It is most uncomfortable to answer the question because it shows us to be faithless in many cases. We must admit, however, that faith without actions that corresponds to the faith is not faith at all. And, “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” (James 2:14-24)

The action that corresponds to faith (or the lack of action) is not only a marker of absent faith, it can also provide clues to us indicating in what or where we have placed our faith. Jesus made the same point this way, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21) Behind the words is the principle that we live what we believe. Or as a Mississippi preacher friend of mine says, “We be livin’ what we believin’.” If what Jesus and my friend say is true (and I believe it is) then we may look into our own lives and easily see where our faith lies. “Where is your faith?” becomes more than a rhetorical question. It becomes a question of introspection. Your faith is somewhere, where is it?

Sometimes the action that exposes our misplaced faith is only a mental process. When trouble arises we may look for help. The process of looking starts with a mental inventory of useful items, people, and resources. When faced with a problem we might immediately think of a friend to help us who has expertise or political power. When faced with a loss we may think of our insurance policy or our savings account. When a health issue appears we may want to consult with a doctor of reputation among his peers. Where our thoughts go is to our treasure, and where your treasure is, there is where you will find your heart of faith.

When King David was faced with trouble he said, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” (Psalms 121:1-2) Could it be said that David had misplaced faith? Never a man had chariots and horses, armies and men so devoted to him as David had. He was truly a man of resources, but his attitude was, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.” (Psalms 20:7) Can anyone see a man here who doubts God? Do we have to ask David, “Where is your faith?”

I believe that God enjoyed the faith of Job, Noah and Daniel, and I believe that YHVH enjoyed David’s faith. David’s faith was different. It had a humble and unassuming quality. Although it was a no nonsense faith, it never even encroached disrespect. Jesus even mentions (I believe with a smile on His face) a time when David ate the shewbread in the Temple, which is unlawful for any man who is not a Priest to eat, and asked the Pharisees what they thought of that. It is no wonder that David was known as a man after God’s own heart. [1 Samuel 13:14, “…the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people…”] The eternal reign of Christ in the new Kingdom has been prophesied for years as the “the throne of David.” David’s relationship to Jehovah was so close that he once circumvented the office of the priest and a man was killed in the process. David grieved for Uzzah and believed it was his fault that he died. [2 Samuel 6] With all these ideas in our head, we are left with this mystery pertaining to David’s relationship to God. But a day came in the life of David where his actions would show, loud and clear, where his faith was. This was a day that grieved the Lord and things were never the same after this event.

“And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.” (1 Chronicles 21:1) What could be so bad about taking a census? Look at the figures that were given to David. “And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand [1,100,000] men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand [470,000] men that drew sword.”(Verse 5) These statistics were to verify the POWER available to David as king. It was obvious that the object in which David placed his faith was changing, and it was deplorable to God. David’s action showed where his faith was. He no longer looked unto the hills as in the days of his youth. He no longer was saying that some trust in chariots and horses, for his actions are now speaking louder than any words of his past. But why did he falter?

Always Enough

I remember going away to school and, for the first time, I was in charge of my finances. In some homes Dad keeps the wallet and balances the checkbook, in my home, my Mother was the one. She taught me how to spend money and how to save it. I remember setting up an account at the school for needs and supplies that would eventually crop up as the year progressed. “How much money are you going to put in there?” I asked my mother. She told me that there would always be enough, as long as I only bought what I needed. I lived by the faith that what my mother told me was true. For many months I never looked into that account or even cared how much was there and, just as she said, whenever I needed something I could go to the clerk and ask for an amount and there was always enough.

But the day came when I wanted to buy MORE than I needed. What do you think was my first thought? My faith in Mom was instantly transformed. I could not count on what was out of my control, namely the will and ability of my mother; I had to rely on what was within my power and possession. My actions showed where my faith was. It was in me.

The Disciples were skilled boatmen. This was not their first time at sea. David was a man of war skilled in every area of battle. When it came time to take inventory of assets it should come as no surprise that these men counted on their own power. David realized what he had done and repented. After the ordeal was over David likely heard within himself the words, “Where is your faith?”

That thought never occurred to the disciples, however. They rowed and rowed. They used every trick in the book. After all hope was gone and their resources were exhausted, and they worked hard to no avail, they went to Jesus. Asking Him why He did not care if they perished, Jesus looked around at the panting men who were totally spent trying to recover themselves, and asked, “Where is your faith?”