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Over the new year, I had the opportunity to go to Atlanta, GA, and attend the Passion Conference. If you don’t know what Passion is, it is an annual gathering of college students to learn about and worship Jesus. It is one of my favorite trips of the year. This year was no different. I was able to take a couple of days to solely focus on Jesus. I wanted to share what I learned.  
 
One of the many speakers at this event was former NFL QB, Tim Tebow. Normally, he wouldn’t be my favorite speaker at an event like this, but what he spoke about stuck with me. He spoke on the story where Jesus calmed the storm. Most of us know the story. Jesus and His disciples had decided to go across the Sea of Galilee after a long day of Jesus teaching. Once they were on the water, a big storm blew up and the Disciples came to him and said “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing,” (Mark 4:38). Jesus woke up, rebuked the wind, and said three powerful words. “Peace! Be Still!,” (Mark 4:39). The storm stopped. What struck me however was what happened next. For some reason, I have never paid attention to what Mark records that Jesus said after that. He turned to the Disciples and said “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:40)
 
The Disciples had just listened to Jesus preach and before that had watched Him perform several healings and miracles. Jesus had cleansed a leper, healed a paralytic man. He just restored a man’s hand by asking him to stretch it out all within the first 3 chapters of Mark. The Disciples saw him do these miracles. How in the world do the Disciples not know whom they are sitting in a boat with? How could they think He didn’t care? They woke Him up and asked if He cared they were about to perish. The same Jesus who went after them specifically, and asked them to follow Him. How? I’ll be honest, I don’t remember how Tim ended his talk. I was stuck on those questions. Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith? I didn’t know why those hit me so hard.  
 
Fast forward a day. I come home and go pick up my dog from my parent’s house. They were gracious enough to watch him while I was out of town. I had the day off so I just sat and talked with them for a while about my trip and how awesome it was to feel the presence of the Lord. I later went to get a Covid test after the conference just to give me some peace of mind, and come to find out, the next day my mother tested positive for Covid. Talk about fear. My mom is my biggest supporter. It scares me to know that she has this virus. It scares me knowing that she has been around my grandmother. It scares me that my brothers and dad are in the same house. It even scares me that I came in contact with the virus again. I almost wanted to say aloud, “Jesus do you not care? Jesus my mom is hurting. Jesus why would you not protect her.” The funniest thing happened. I felt the leading hand of the Lord say “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” See I don’t get to pick my circumstances. They will always change. But, my confidence is placed in the God who is the same today as He’s always been and always will be. At the end of the day, I should know that the Lord is bigger than my circumstances. He is bigger than any single thing that can happen in this life.   
 
Vertical Worship has a song called “Faithful Now” that I think you should listen to. The chorus of the song says:  

You make mountains move // You make giants fall // And You use songs of praise // To shake prison walls // And I will speak to my fear // I will preach to my doubt // That You were faithful then // You'll be faithful now

I want to encourage you today to have faith. Have faith that the Lord is working all things together for the good of those who love Him. Have faith that even in the storms of life, He will be right there with you. That doesn’t mean it will be easy. Lord knows I’ve had a lot of questions in these last few days. But have faith knowing that He loves you and He has a plan for the very thing you are going through right now.