Friday, January 9, 2015
Matthew 14:31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
LIGHT BULB NO. 5 -- I CAN TRUST THAT JESUS HAS SAVED ME
Jesus asked this question of Simon Peter moments after rescuing him from drowning in the Sea of Galilee. Although the immediate context of the question was not addressing Peter's eternal salvation, it did deal directly with his relationship to Jesus. Jesus came to earth and made Himself known to people for the express purpose of having a relationship with them through faith. But what good is faith in Jesus if it can't be trusted? How will it hold up against Satan if earthly fears like wind and waves can topple it?
Although Jesus never mentioned heaven or hell when He asked Peter this question, it ultimately pointed to Peter's spiritual life, and it points to yours too. Whenever you doubt what Jesus can or has done for you, whether it be in the daily activities of life or in the big questions of your future, it strikes at your faith in Him; the very same faith that unlocks heaven for you. Peter revealed this by his plea for help in the previous verse. As he was going under he cried out to Jesus, "Lord, save me!" Peter's immediate need centered on saving his physical life, which Jesus certainly did. But the greater "epiphany" is that Peter needed a Savior from sin, just as you and I do.
Jesus' question and the miracle He performed in the midst of the storm are meant to reassure us that we can trust in Him as our Savior in all matters of life. The longer we have the gift of faith in Jesus, the more often we are tempted by Satan's ploys to discredit the reliability of that faith. The Christian's journey in this life is often a long and treacherous one, beset with many dangers. Let us hold fast to the trustworthiness we have in Christ our Savior.
