Many Christians believe that faith is believing in Jesus. But Jesus expects a faith that is fearless of Satan or the troubles we face without any doubt that it cannot harm us. The event where Peter walks on water connects all the important points to show that faith means, you don’t have any fear of troubles because you don’t doubt the Son of God who will keep us away from all troubles.
Walking on the water
Matt 14:26-33 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt? And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
Peter had some doubt if the man walking on the water was really Jesus. So, Peter asked the Man to command him to walk on water if He is really Jesus. So, Jesus commanded Peter to come into water. When Peter started walking on the water because of the storm, he was afraid and immediately he began to sink. Jesus wasn’t far but right before him and still Peter sank. Jesus however, did not address Peter as being fearful but doubtful. In other words, Jesus expects all who have faith in Him to be without doubt and must not be fearful of troubles. If we are fearful of troubles, we are faithless.
We can ask God to do a miracle in our life, like walking on the water in the midst of a stormy situation. God hears our prayers and can even command us the miracle to happen in our life. The miracle can even begin to happen in our life, just like Peter started walking on the water. But if we see the situation and became frightened because of it, Jesus declares us to be ‘doubtful’ of Him and we can sink into trouble right before Jesus.
Killing Goliath
1Sam 17:11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. … (24) And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid. … (26) … For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” … (28-29) Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle. And David said, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?”
Who among all of Israel was fearless of Goliath? Scriptures say, it’s only David who was only a boy. David was even blamed for being pride and insolence for His faith in God by his own brother. If you have faith in God, you will be fearless of Satan or of troubles which can be as big as Goliath. But to overcome troubles, we must first be fearless and ready to fight against it because of our faith in God.
1Sam 17:46 “This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
David didn’t ask God permission if he had to fight Goliath. But rather, David had faith in God and went to battle to fight against Goliath having faith that the LORD had already delivered Goliath into his hands. Many Christians today pray to God for overcoming troubles that are as big as Goliath, yet too afraid to face it and want God to overcome for them while they remain in fear and safety. This is a false hope of doubting God and not trusting Him to overcome trouble. Just as Peter sank on fearing the storm, those who are fearful of Satan and troubles that are like Goliath, will not be able to overcome them.
Ps 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
As David sang in Psalms, even when we walk through the valley of shadow of death, let us not fear of any evil for the LORD is with us.
Defeating the Midianites
Judg 7:12 Now the Midianites and Amalekites, all the people of the East, were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the seashore in multitude.
Our troubles can be as big as the Midianite army. Let’s see how God chose the army who must fight against the Midianites.
Judg 7:3 … ‘Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.’ ” And twenty-two thousand of the people returned, and ten thousand remained.
The preliminary entry requirement to get recruited into God’s army who can defeat the Midianites is being ‘fearless’. God doesn’t want people who are fearful. Nor can they overcoming any trouble that are like locusts or Midianite.
Midst of Fiery Furnace
Dan 3:16-18 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
We may have trouble approaching us as fierce as the burning fiery furnace. If we read how Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego responded to the king of Babylon (the superpower of ancient world), they neither feared the burning fiery furnace nor feared for their own life but had unshakeable confidence in the LORD. Even if they did really die, they want the king to know beforehand that they will never be unfaithful to the LORD God of Israel. Such fearlessness is the evidence of true faith and trust in God.
Dan 3:30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego in the province of Babylon.
God placed the burning fiery furnace as a path for giving promotion to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. Many Christians do not want to boldly face trouble but want blessings. They don’t realise that the very trouble which can be like a burning fiery furnace set before them could be the path for receiving blessings from God. When we are fearless against Satan to fully trust God and be faithful to Him at all costs, even death, only then God will walk among our midst in our trouble to deliver us and exalt us before our enemies.
Dividing the Red Sea
Exod 14:12-16 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness. And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. And the LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
When Moses said that the LORD will fight for Israel and they just need to hold their peace to a people fearful of the Egyptian army and want to go back to Egypt, the LORD’s reply to Moses was surprising. The LORD doesn’t want Moses to cry to Him, but rather, expects the people to start walking against the red sea. If we have faith in God and start walking fearless against a sea of trouble, even the sea will divide before us.
Conclusion
David neither sought God’s approval to fight against Goliath who was blaspheming Him nor got some training before He went to battle. He never had any backup plan either.
Luke 10:19 “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Christians today claim to have faith in Jesus, yet too afraid to trample on serpents and scorpions. They want to pray, get some clear revelation from God before they can trample troubles like serpents and scorpions, doubting the authority given by Christ. Like Peter, if they trample in fear of being bitten while trampling, even if Jesus is with them, they will be bitten by troubles like serpents and scorpions. Some Christians are too clever to hide their fear by asking God to trample troubles like serpents and scorpions for them.
Isa 51:7 “Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, You people in whose heart is My law: Do not fear the reproach of men, Nor be afraid of their insults.
