Thursday... Two responses to difficult situations.

How do you handle difficult situations?

Over in Matthew 8, Jesus faces two difficult situations with two different responses.

The first situation was that a Roman captain came up to Him in a panic. He said to Jesus in verse 6 (MSG), "Master, my servant is sick. He can't walk. He's in terrible pain." In verses 7-8, "Jesus says, 'I'll come and heal him.' 'Oh, no,' said the captain, 'I don't want to put you to all that trouble. Just give the order and my servant will be fine.'" And then verse 13, "Then Jesus turned to the captain and said, 'Go, What you believed could happen has happened.' At that moment his servant became well."

Later in verses 23-25 it says, "Then he got into a boat, his disciples with him. The next thing they knew, they were in a storm. Waves were crashing into the boat - and he was fast sleep! They roused him, pleading, 'Master, save us! We're about to drown!" And then in verse 26b, "Then he stood up and told the wind to be silent, the sea to quiet down: 'Silence!' The sea became smooth as glass."

Now Jesus did what they both asked but he responded to them in different ways because of their different responses. In verse 10, "Taken aback, Jesus said, 'I've yet to come across this kind of simple trust in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know all about God and how he works." And then in verse 26a, "Jesus reprimanded them. 'Why are you such cowards, such faint-hearts?'"

The first man had to find Jesus, he came to Him and in the other the disciples were in the boat with Him. The Roman captain came with expectation and the disciples were afraid even with Him in the boat.

In the first, Jesus was taken aback in the other He was frustrated and reprimanded them. The captain had simple trust, the disciples were faint-hearted.

If you have a relationship with God, then He is in your boat in the midst of your storms. You don't have to come searching for Him. So don't be faint-hearted but just simply trust Him. He's not going to let you drown! Live with faith not fear. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

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