"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" -Matthew 14:28-31
I know that the Lord has said that to me many times what He said to Peter: "You of little faith. Why did you doubt?" Why do we so often doubt what the Lord tells us? Faith is always more powerful that doubt, but isn’t it amazing how quickly doubt can establish itself in the human heart? It reminds me a smaller man who is able to whip a much larger man simply because he knows his opponent’s weaknesses and he has a better fighting technique. This is why Jesus challenged us to have more faith. Faith is our principle technique and strategy for fighting the devil. Do you think that the devil has a technique, weapons, and a strategy? You had better believe he does, and he will use them against us each and every day. The Scripture says that we have weapons of righteousness in our right hand and in our left (II Corinthians 6:7). We must be able and willing to use them.
I am smart enough to know not to try and take on the devil hand-to-hand. I am going to use the weapons the Lord has provided. Ephesians 6 outlines for us exactly what they are: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, with which we can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and prayer (Ephesians 6:14-18). Step out on faith and claim the victory that is ours in Jesus Christ. When we fail to do that the Lord will say to us what He told some others, “Why did you doubt, oh ye of little faith?”
On two different occasions in Matthew the Lord said that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed we can move mountains. Matthew 17:20 says, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Again in Matthew 21:21: "Jesus replied, 'I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done."
Remember that doubt is like pouring water on hot coals. It puts out the fire the Lord is doing in our lives. Faith will move us forward, but doubt will always hold us back. Doubt and unbelief have ever been the enemy of vibrant and growing faith. Get rid of doubt and unbelief, and anything else that is hindering our growth and faith in Jesus and we will be ready to move mountains.
It can be done. Nothing will be impossible; for me, for you, and for the church. The Lord will provide; in His time and in His way.
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