“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).  When we encounter the Gospel—the Bible’s message of new life in Jesus—the Spirit has kindling with which to ignite a fire of faith in our hearts.  Whether you’re responding to Christ for the first time or the thousandth, faith is formed and faith is built as we take in God’s Word.  We’re nourished spiritually by feeding on “every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). 

In our Wednesday evening Prayer Gathering, time spent reading and praying in response to Scripture often sparks a refreshment of my faith.  This week we read passages on the theme, “Be Still,” and God used several striking truths build me up:

Twice in Psalm 46 God is identified as “our fortress” (vv 7, 11).  In fact, Psalm 46 was the inspiration for Martin Luther to write the hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”  Picture a fortified bunker, a totally secure place in which to take refuge from all foes.   In fact, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (v 1).  In light of this we can—and must—“be still” (v 10).

Then we shifted to Jesus’ sayings about the birds and the lilies, and how we need not be anxious (Matthew 6:25-34).   Especially encouraging to me was the reminder that, even though God takes care of the birds, we are of “more value than they” (6:26).  The Lord made humans in his image (Genesis 1:26-27)—and that is not true of any other living thing in all creation.  And so, if God so values his children, why should we wallow in worry?

And then there was Jesus sleeping in a boat during a storm (Luke 8:23):  by staying calm and resting, he made a statement.  When fretful disciples woke him up, he took charge—by rebuking the waves (thus calming the sea) and by challenging his men:  “Where is your faith?” (8:25).  Well, for me, envisioning restful Jesus unfazed by raging waves was a gift—a faith-boosting gift!