Most of us are familiar with the story of Jesus walking on the water and Peter giving it a go too. Peter said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water (Matthew 14:28).” Jesus said, “Come.” Peter then left the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he became afraid and began to sink. He cried out to Jesus, “Lord save me.” Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and saved him from drowning.
There are some interesting nuggets in this story. First, Peter, like all of the disciples, was afraid. They thought this image of someone walking on the water was a ghost. To calm them, Jesus told to not be afraid, it was Him. Then faith rose up in Peter and he wanted to walk on the water too. Then when he started to walk, he became afraid again. Then he called on Jesus to save him, with faith again. So Peter was afraid, had faith, was afraid, had faith. Peter was inconsistent in his faith, to say the least. People have rightly pointed out that Peter was the only disciple that had the faith to walk on the water. All the others were still fearfully sitting in the boat.
When Jesus saved Peter from the threatening depths of the sea, He said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Now, last I read, even faith of a mustard seed could move a mountain. Was Peter’s faith even smaller than a minute mustard seed? Or was it that he didn’t have only a little faith, but perhaps his faith was little? Could it be that only a tiny bit of faith that is pure without doubting really can move a mountain? But any amount of faith, if it isn’t pure and inconsistently doubts, accomplishes little? Consider what Jesus said on the subject in the book of Mark:
For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them (Mark 11:23-24).
This and other scriptures on the subject seem to suggest that the amount of faith one has, if it is inconsistent faith, may be as though there was no faith at all. And any small amount of faith, if it is faith without doubting, brings results. Consider also what James says on the subject:
But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (James 1:6-8).
Most of us have little trouble believing that God CAN do the things we ask for. Of course, He can. He can do whatever He wants to do. But that’s often where we get tripped up. He can, but will He? Is it His will? The theology that everything in our life is all planned out and the will of God will just play out has done great damage to faith. We have faith in God, that He will do His will, but doubt that we could influence His will at all. Story after story in the Bible shows that God hears prayers and enjoys answering them. Many times God even changed His mind (gasp). We are told in Luke 18 that we should always pray and not give up. But what good would that do if God has already ordained everything? It is clear in scripture that God is very willing to answer man’s prayer, and that man should ask. But he should ask in faith, without doubting.
I completely understand the doubting thing. I live on a roller coaster of faith and doubt. Yes, God can heal my cancer. I even believe it is within His will to heal the terminal illness that plagues me. But I am also bothered by the fact that millions of God-fearing Christians have died from cancer. Why would God heal me and not them? Well, maybe if my little bit of faith was consistent and I didn’t have those moments of doubting, I would fare better. According to Hebrews 11:1, faith is being sure (without doubting) of what we hope for. Doubting is an insult to God. It is saying, “I don’t believe all the scriptures that show You moved by the prayers of the saints. You couldn’t possibly be a good enough God to want to heal my disease, or undertake on my behalf. I couldn’t possibly walk in favor with You.” But our good, loving God isn’t as much of a meanie as we sometimes think He is. The longer I serve Him, the more I am convinced of His love for me and my favor with Him. Many sick are healed, and many believers regularly heal the sick. I think the reason why some can heal the sick but most can’t (outside of a healing gift), is because the ones who successfully heal the sick (obviously God does the actual healing) have no doubt that the sick will be healed. And, according to Jesus, that kind of faith is available to all of us, indeed, must rise within us if we want to see significant answers to our prayers. The following verse may help move us to success:
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).
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