From Mathew 14:22-33.
Why did you doubt?
Jesus asked Simon Peter this question at one time. Quite often we, like the disciple, have been candidates for the same question. We could be walking in faith then suddenly there is a threatening shift and we fall apart with doubt.
It is interesting to note that Jesus expected such unwavering faith from the people who lived in his time. Since he doesn’t change, I am pretty sure he expects the same of us today. In this particular passage, Peter walked on water after Jesus called him out of the boat. But when the wind grew strong, he doubted and started to sink. He cried out, “Lord save me”. As the Master reached out his hand to help he said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
We can tell there is a hint of frustration in his voice. It sounds like he has said it before and had already given Peter more than enough reason to trust him.
Let us see what Jesus had done earlier. For starters, he enabled Simon Peter walk on water a matter of seconds before! He also fed 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, raised a girl from the dead, cast out demons, healed countless people and yes calmed the wind of a raging storm. So here was Peter who had witnessed all this and the moment he felt the wind blowing a bit hard, he doubted. Now we can see why the Jesus seemed frustrated at Simon’s little faith.
Let’s not be too hard on him though, because in many ways, we are just as unsteady. We have all experienced times when we doubted God, but we have also seen Him come through for us when we trusted. You would be amazed if you listed the number of times.
So what happens to our faith when the winds of life blow hard? That is a question for you to answer. Jesus expects us to trust him irrespective of the circumstances, because God’s power is not limited. The thing that Peter forgot here was that Jesus can deal with anything that comes against us, no matter what. Our part is to refuse to size-up our circumstances and just believe that every problem we face is simple for God to deal with.
Everything Simon saw Jesus do should have given him great faith, but we can also say that those same miracles should strengthen our own faith because even if this was a different time, the same Jesus who walked with Simon walks with us today.