My life right now is a lot like Matthew 14.
I’m in a boat a long way from shore. The wind is against me, and giant waves are steadily beating hope from my soul. I see a someone walking toward me on the water. I think it is a product of my imagination until I hear the words that soothe my growing fear. “Take heart; it is I. do not be afraid.” Such words could only come from one source. It is my Master. Faith filling my soul, I cry out, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He says, “Come.” Motivated only by love for my Master, I begin to pull myself over the edge of the boat. The water feels cool beneath my feet as I put both feet down upon the water. Joy fills my soul as step after step I do the impossible as Jesus does. I fix my eyes to His pleased smile. The wind picks up, and it starts to feel like arms are shoving my body toward the dark waves beneath me. I turn my head in fear as thunder and lightning assail my senses. My faith in the power of Jesus disappears, causing my body to sink beneath the waves. Jesus immediately reaches out His hand and takes hold of my. His gracious words meet me as I gulp air. “O you of little faith, why did you doubt.”
I have submitted my life to Jesus. I left my old life and chose to follow Him. I gave up everything I had for Him, but I still hesitated to give Him me. I called out to Him. I asked Him if He was calling me to abandon my objects of security, my selfish plans, my boat. All a roundabout way of asking, “Are you worth my life.”
And He said yes.
He asked me to do the impossible. He wants me to live my life as He lived His: fully dependent on the Spirit. He asked me to do His work in Nicaragua, South Africa, and Thailand this year. This means raising $6,000 in one month and $12,491 in four. For me, that’s just as impossible as walking on water.
I said yes anyway.
The only reason that Peter was walking on water, and the only reason that I am in this impossible situation in the first place, is because of our faith in Jesus’ word. Our gaze was wholly fixed on our Lord. But the strong wind around me is beginning to distract me, just like it did Peter.
Right now, God is looking about 3.02% faithful. (Wonder where I got that number? Look at my fundraising bar above.)
I believe that doubt is a sin that is continually justified in American Christianity today. How often do we hear people say, “Doubt is fine as long as it leads you to the right place in the end.”
NOTHING should be able to shake our faith because NOTHING can shake the power of God. It is IMPOSSIBLE for God to be unfaithful. Doubt is not acceptable in any degree. It compromises our effectiveness in the Kingdom of God and turns our gaze to things other than Jesus.
When we doubt, we are fearing that which could never happen. Wind cannot blow away the power of God holding us above water, just as low finances cannot disqualify me from doing the work that God has called me to.
Having confidence that Jesus Christ is both able and willing to perform what He has promised, let us banish the smallest specks of doubt that creep into our souls. The doubt that the evil one tries to sneak into our lives has no right to reside in the souls of those purchased by the blood of Christ.
Let us rest in the fact that we can never trust God too much. There is no such thing as faith that is too big. He performs the work as we obey His Spirit.
Looking at God through fleshly eyes today may say that He is only 3.02% faithful. But my eyes fixed on Jesus tell a whole different story.
Finances are a small thing in the Kingdom of God. He is good. His steadfast love for me endures forever. His faithfulness never wavers. And He has promised to provide for His work on earth. To doubt His provision is to listen to the voice of the Enemy.
Preach these truths to your soul everyday. Live lives of intimacy with Christ that make the world stop and ask, “O you of great faith, who do you trust?”
