Little Faith

But the ship was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by waves, for the wind was against them. During the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified, thinking it was a spirit, and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer; it is I; do not be afraid." Peter responded, saying, "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water." Jesus said, "Come." When Peter stepped out of the boat, he walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind was strong and the waves were rising, he became afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried, "Lord, save me!" (Matthew 14:24-30)

Faith has five elements: hearing, receiving, believing, speaking, and acting. Peter demonstrated all five in one moment—he heard Jesus say, "Come," received it, believed enough to step out of the boat, and actually walked on the water. A man walked on water. Think about that. It was not because he was spiritually elite or had years of deep theological training, but rather because he heard a word and acted on it.

But then something changed. The wind picked up, the waves grew louder, and Peter took his eyes off Jesus to focus on the circumstances. The Bible says he began to sink—he did not immediately go under, but he started to sink, like air slowly leaking out of a balloon. That’s what doubt does. It doesn’t always knock you down immediately. It just starts a slow leak.

Jesus pulled him out of the water and said, “Oh ye of little faith." Notice He said little—not zero—faith because it took faith to step out of the boat in the first place. The problem with little faith is that it is highly affected by what you see and feel. Little faith can get you out of the boat, but it can’t always keep you walking when the wind gets loud.

The centurion in Matthew 8 had great faith—so great that Jesus said He had not seen anything like it in all of Israel. The difference? The centurion didn’t need to see it; he only needed the word. Build your faith to that level— Word only and no signs required.

Practical Application

Honestly examine your level of faith today. Are you a get-out-of-the-boat believer who sinks when the wind picks up? Or do you keep your eyes on Jesus regardless?  Feed your faith with the Word until circumstances stop being louder than what God said. Grow from little faith to great faith, one Word at a time.

Mark 6:48; John 6:18