Have you ever felt like you were sinking in the sea of doubt or fear?
Peter can tell his story so very well.
Matthew 14: 22-31
Jesus sent his disciples ahead of him in the boat to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd (Matt 14:22). He used his alone time to go up the mountainside to pray. By the time he decided to follow his disciples the boat was already a considerable distance from land. It was buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it (Matt 14:23-24). By dawn Jesus did something incredible, he went out to meet them. Not with another boat, but walking on the water. So what do you think the disciples would do, seeing a figure of a man coming towards them? Yep! They cried out in fear (Matt 14: 25). Jesus immediately calm their fears, by speaking courage to them and telling them do not fear. One thing we must always understand, no matter what things look like, Jesus never tolerates fear. Fear is a natural response of man when he feels threaten by impending danger or evil. BUT, Jesus still does not give us a reason to fear, because there is really none. Fear is having more confidence in the worse happening than the good working out some how.
Let’s check out Peter’s experience
Peter was the bold one, willing to try strange things and always the first to speak up. He wanted to do what Jesus was doing and Jesus agreed. It wasn’t long before Peter was distracted by the rough waters, takes his eyes off Jesus and begins to sink (Matt. 14:30).
Jesus never allowed doubt and fear to ride and ignored it, he spoke to Peter unequivocally as Matthew 14:31 records, Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” Peter’s focus was on Jesus when he stepped out of the boat, but it was only a few steps, when Peter takes his eyes of Jesus, sees the wind, becomes afraid and starting to sink. The very thing he focuses his attention on, begins to engulf and consume him with fear. Fear grips Peter’s heart and as a result he begins to sink. But his story doesn’t end there, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Praise God he knew what to do. Jesus reached out his loving hand and caught Peter before he sunk. That’s amazing News for us. Because He is a loving God and will never let us sink in the sea of our fear, unbelief, doubt or despair.
That’s what the wrong focus will do. Focusing on the cares and issues of life will bring fear.
Jesus’s response to Peter resonates with us today, as a super lesson of trust. I could imagine Jesus asking me this question, “You of little faith,” “why did you doubt?” This is a universal question God asks all of us. How many times has he come through for us but when something challenging arises we still fear and doubt him. Why do we doubt God when we know how good and wonderful he is to us? Jesus will never let you fall. It is amazing that Jesus caught Peter just before he went down. He is there to catch us at all times. He is there to pick us up when we fall, correct us when we err. Yes and even when we doubt. He has a no tolerance policy on doubt, but he loves us anyway and will help to bring us to a place of faith in him.
My Prayer for you today is that you will focus on Jesus and not on all the things out there clamoring for your attention. And when you find yourself in despair, call out to Jesus, he is only a prayer away.