Watchman: Daily Devotional, Every Challenge in Life Is a Test to Discover if We Will Face It With Faith or Skepticism. Falling Into the Lake Was the Last Thing Peter Wanted to Do, but the Distraction of the Physical Caused Him to Do Just That
Matthew 14:31-33 (NIV) 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."
While Jesus walked up the mountain to pray, He dispatched the disciples ahead. They rowed against the wind, which prevented them from crossing the lake. During the last few hours before dawn, Jesus appeared to them, walking on the lake. The Jews called the lake's depths the Abyss. They were terrified to see a figure walking on the water, but Jesus explained who He was and that they need not be afraid. (Job 9:8)
Peter requested to meet Jesus on the lake. He was invited to come by Jesus. Taking first step off the boat required a significant leap of faith. Keep in mind that the wind is blowing and the waves are crashing. Do you walk on top of the wave or jump to the bottom? Peter walked a few steps, but then his focus shifted from Jesus to the waves, and he began to sink. He cried out to the Lord, and the Lord took his hand in his and corrected his doubt. The wind eased down as soon as they were both in the boat, and the disciples began to worship.
Every adversity in life is a test to discover if we will face it with faith or skepticism. Falling into the lake was the last thing Peter wanted to do, but the distraction of the physical caused him to do just that. Even in the middle of doubt, you can call out to the Lord, and His hand will be there immediately. We hardly go down the street without getting distracted. Why do we have doubts? Why don't we believe more in what the Lord is capable of? It all depends on where our focus is. What are we focusing on the most? It helps to remember that the storm was allowed by the Lord in order to strengthen our faith. Whether we succeed or fail, when we are in the boat together and the wind slows down, we end up worshiping Him. We recognize His power and capacity and worship Him for who He is. "You truly are the Son of God!"
Ponder this: Struggle is frequently the way to spiritual development.
The Great Tribulation
It is our belief that the Great Tribulation referred to in the New Testament Book of Revelation (chapters 6-11) is unfolding before our eyes. In the near future, we will devote the "Tribulation" tab on our "Trending" menu to this emerging reality. As people continue to unplug from mainstream media, our commitment is to present the truth and encourage our audience to understand current events from a Biblical perspective. Click here to begin the journey.
The Watchman
In the Bible, the Watchman is responsible for keeping watch and warning others of potential danger or impending judgment. The role is mentioned several times in the Old Testament, particularly in the book of Ezekiel. In Ezekiel 33:6, God says to the prophet Ezekiel, "But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand." Click here to begin the journey.
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