O Thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus Stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshiped him, saying; Of a truth thou art the Son of God. (St. Matthew 14:25-33)

This has to be one of my absolute favorite story found in the scriptures it has so many applications to my life and I hope it will begin to have many applications to yours. The Disciples had toiled all night long against the storm while Jesus was upon the shore line watching. They feared and were afraid that they all might perish if the storm does not calm itself. On the Fourth Watch (this means early morning they had to work and toil all night long which is a lesson unto itself) Jesus came walking on the water and Peter the overzealous one asks "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water." And like Jesus always says "Come." Instantly Peter jumped over the side of the boat not thinking that he was about to be a part of a miracle. That just goes to show you the exceptional Faith that Peter had. I do not think too many of us will be that willing to jump out and leave the safety of the boat. "While his eyes were fixed upon the Lord, the wind could toss his hair and the spray could drench his robes, but all was well-he was coming to Christ." But Peter was quickly distracted and he began to sink. His thoughts and focus were changed from the Saviors face to the storm, rain, and the rushing wind. "It was only when his faith wavered and fear took control, only when the removed his glance from the Master to look at the furious waves and the ominous black gulf beneath, only then did he began to sink into the sea. In.... terror he cried out, Lord, save Me" (Jeffrey R. Holland, "Broken things to Mend,")

O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Can you see it? What caused a man of such Faith to begin to sink? Focus and Fear. Peter had the ability to walk on water and because of his great quality to leap without fear and try something new he found himself in a unfamiliar situation. It was uncomfortable for him and instead of focusing on the goal he began to focus on the problems. Does this not apply to us? How many of us have set out on a great journey with great faith. We feel great about something and have all the confidence in the world that things are going to work out. We plunge in with both feet with high hopes, focused energy, and great enthusiasm. But what happens to most people when problems start to arise and doubt and fear begin to creep into our minds? It will happen it does not matter what kind of journey you are about to embark on there will be trials and opposition in all things. That I can guarantee for it is a law. When problems arise 99% draw back, give up, and return to the safety of the ship, but I am here to tell you to do otherwise and Follow Peter. Instead of giving up and turning back to the boat he looked up and Cried "Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus Stretched forth his hand, and caught him." He looked up not back!! In moments of great despair and trail Peter new exactly what to do. Even though he made the mistake of focusing on the turbulence around him (which is something that we all tend to do) he didn't make the bigger mistake of retreating.

JACE VERNON