LIVING FOR JESUS --- Daily Devotional
JUNE 12 JQ#15-6: “O you of little faith, why do you doubt?”
365 Prayers to JESUS
Jesus, Lord Jesus, today there is nothing but Praise in my heart for You and the moving of Your Spirit that we have seen this week through Your Church. Lord we know that Your Church is not made of bricks and mortar but of flesh and blood and hearts that have been given to helping others ——— so Lord let us be more like You each day of our life and remember that how we treat others is a direct reflection on how we feel about You, thank You Lord for letting our vessels pour out Your Love on those around us that they too may drink of THE LIVING WATER! AMEN
The Jesus Questions
JQ#15-6: “O you of little faith, why do you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31) {{Part 1 Jesus and Peter walks on the water}} When the context surrounding this event in which Jesus asked “Why do you doubt?” is looked at from a “spiritual” perspective and take into consideration that this is the second event in which the disciples were out to sea during a storm we can then make a comparison between the two events which appear to be the same. Jesus always has a reason and this event though similar has some distinct differences that Jesus uses to move us forward in our understanding of God and His will for our lives so let us look at not only what is similar with these two “boating experiences” but what is different about them so that we can understand what kingdom lesson Jesus intends for His followers. The first event is introduced with “Now when [Jesus] got into a boat, His disciples followed Him…suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea…but Jesus was asleep…His disciples awoke Him, saying Lord, save us! We are perishing! …Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great calm.” (Matthew 8:23-26) Jesus had just taught the parable of the two builders, cleansed a leper, healed the Centurion’s servant and Peter’s mother-in-law, and had made this statement about “faith” “Go your way, and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” (Matthew 7:24 - 8:22) These were the events leading to the first boat trip so let’s compare those with this second boating experience. The second boating experience starts with “Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.” (Matthew 14:22) The event preceding this statement of “immediately Jesus made His disciples” was the feeding of the five thousand where instead of Jesus doing lone acts of healing, the disciples had been active in the miracle feeding as Jesus had commanded His disciples “You give them something to eat” and commanded the disciples to “Bring [the multitudes] here to Me” then Jesus broke and blessed the bread and made the disciples “serve” the “multitudes”. So the first difference is that the events leading up to the first boating experience was Jesus performing miracles and the disciples were observing but the events leading up to the second boating experience had the disciples actively involved in public ministry and doing kingdom work. The second difference is that in the first event Jesus got into the boat and the disciples followed Him where in the second event Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and commanded them to “go before Him to the other side”. (Matthew 14:22) The third difference that stands out is that in the first event Jesus is with them in the boat when the storm arises and the disciples were fearful of losing their lives so they awoke Jesus but in the second event the disciples are alone in the “middle of the sea, tossed by the waves…” and “in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.”(Matthew 14:25) In the first event the disciples were panicked and thought they were “perishing” but in this event the disciples are only “troubled” and in this event the disciples “fear” came when they thought they were seeing a ghost, “…they were troubled, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ and they cried out in fear.” (Matthew 14:26) In the first event Jesus woke up and rebuked them and the waves and went back to sleep but in this event when the disciples cry out Jesus assures them, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27) The second event marks a milestone in faith for the disciples because even though the waves are “contrary” Peter “answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”(Matthew 14:28) and we read the one word command Jesus gives all of us “Come”. (Matthew 14:29) It is at this point where Peter fixes his eyes firmly on Jesus and steps out of the boat on “Faith” and actually starts walking on water himself! What a lesson to learn here because when Peter “had come down out of the boat, [and] walked on the water to go to Jesus.” Peter had all the “Power of Jesus” when his “Faith” was focused entirely on Jesus (Matthew 14:29) because it was only when Peter came out of the “Spirit” and became aware of the “physical world” that he began to sink, “But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord save me!’” (Matthew 14:30) I am sure that Peter’s faith was bolstered when “…immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him…” (Matthew 14:31) “and when [Peter and Jesus] got into the boat the wind ceased.” (Matthew 14:32) Truly we would learn as the disciples did that “Truly [Jesus is] the Son of God” (Matthew 14 :33) if we will reach out to him and declare our need of a Savior or do you believe that you will never encounter any storms in your life?
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