What waves your flag?

By: Carole L. Haines 

What waves your flag, fear or faith?  I was sitting with the Lord this morning, reading My Utmost for His Highest to my husband as he drove to work. This is our morning pleasure, reading the Word of God and Oswald Chambers. The Devotion was on Faith and perseverance. I don’t know why, but the thought of a flag waving in the wind came to mind. Something moves that flag, whichever way the wind is blowing, the flag moves, North, South, East or West. Wind is depicted in at least two ways in Scripture. One evokes the mystery of the Work and anointing of the Spirit: 

The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8) Also, in Acts 2 on The Day of Pentecost, when the Disciples are anointed and filled with the Spirit. This is the Wind of Faith. 

Wind also is depicted as fear and doubt, such as in James 1: 5-8:
“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 

Fear and doubt undo us too often, and it makes us unstable in our faith. I guarantee you that each day I battle fear or doubt at least once, many days more than that. But the picture I see when I think of the wind of fear or faith moving my flag, is the one of Our Lord Jesus conquering the wind and calming the Sea, or walking on the wind–whipped water, found in each of the Gospels.    

The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. But He *said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”
(John 6:18-20) 

I do not want to be that double-minded man unstable in all his ways. But fear and doubt will plague us while still on this earth. Our hope is to look to the One who calmed the Seas, who walked upon the waters of fear and doubt and conquered them. He is Sovereign over every wind that blows through our lives, be it a wind of faith or fear. When I look at the circumstances, I sink as Peter did when he took his eyes off Jesus (Matthew 14:28-33). But when I fix my gaze upon Jesus, I soar like an eagle. He is the one who gives my faith its stability.  One of my favorite Scriptures is tucked away in the Book of Isaiah 33:6. 

And He will be the stability of your times, A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; The fear of the Lord is his treasure.  

So, what waves your flag, fear or faith? If you’re anything like me, both do sometimes. We can conquer fear only by fixing our gaze upon Jesus and by putting our trust in the one who conquered the wind and calmed the Sea. There is only one flag I want to wave, the white flag of Surrender to Jesus. Trust in Him and let Him be the wind that waves your flag.