Thanks to my Bible app I’ve been able to discover a couple of devotionals to help with my attempts at reading the bible more. If you were to look at my Bible app, you would see several incomplete devotional plans. I get started on a plan that suits my needs in the beginning but then I get distracted and fall off the wagon.
Recently, I’ve been slightly obsessed with the idea of being fearless. I know I need to be more fearless to accomplish my goals and I need to figure out how to do that. So I decided to find a devotional about being fearless. Thanks to my Bible app, I found a six week journey to becoming fearless. I’m very excited to see how it goes, but six weeks! I can barely make it 6 straight days! But I needed to make a change.
Well, it’s been 13 days according to the plan and I’m already 3 days behind. But I’m making progress, trying to stay on track and am committed to finishing it. The first week of this devotional has been a little tough because we’ve been focused on this one scripture. The devotionals I’ve done before might refer to the same scripture but then will usually add on another scripture that’s related. I think I’ve always started devotionals with the mindset of I’m going to read it to check it off my to do list and it will get me closer to reading more of the Bible. With that mindset, I wasn’t thrilled about reading the same scripture everyday for over a week.
My thoughts have changed and I’m starting to love really picking apart this scripture. I love how the devotional brought up different thoughts and insights that I didn’t think about at first. It amazes me how you can read the same scripture over and over again and learn new things.
The scripture that we focused on was Matthew 14:27 – 32.
(27) But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
(28) “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
(29) “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and come toward Jesus. (30) But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
(31) Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
(32) And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
After reading this scripture several times over the past week, I’ve realized how relevant it is to my life. I’ve been wanting to build my relationship with God so that I can fully live out my purpose on Earth, but honestly, I’ve been afraid. What will He ask of me? I know it’s going to make me uncomfortable and what if I don’t want to do what He asks?
I feel like this scripture is such a perfect example of having faith to trust in God. We don’t need to be afraid because He has our best interests in mind. When Peter walks on water but then gets afraid, I feel like that’s me when I start to trust God but then doubt myself and even God. I second guess my choices and freak out. Why do I do that? It always works out! God is always there to save me!
This scripture has really been building a strong foundation for my fearless journey. I’m so glad that we focused on this scripture so that it’s really getting in me that I should not have any doubts. When God asks something of me, I know I need to listen, obey and trust that it’s going to work out for the best.
Is there something that you’ve been second guessing yourself on? Why did you doubt?
Hey Ariel! 🙂
Doing some exploring of your blog some more, and stumbled across this post. I love it!!
I love your reflections towards the end of the post, after you share that unbelievably amazing passage of Scripture about Jesus and Peter walking on water. The connection to fearlessness in Christ is amazing, and I love how you pull out the idea that doubting God in His goodness and His purposes for our lives can lead to a lack of faith, a deep-seated fear of change, and can leave us stuck in our stubborn ways.
I just wanted to offer some further thoughts to chew on: I love the sentiment behind not having any doubts, but I hope to challenge you on this to say that the Lord Jesus knows we doubt from time to time. And it’s okay that we do, if only we come to Him in those moments of skepticism and weakness, and again ask for His Spirit’s sanctification in us, so that we can doubt no more. All that to say, I think doubt can be good, if it’s directed towards Jesus, and slowly but surely turned to deeper faith and belief in Him. Doubts can go sour if we don’t do the best thing for ourselves in those moments, use the skepticism to deepen our faith.
I love you!!!!
Definitely great points to think further on. God is so good! He definitely knows that we are not perfect and can have doubts from time to time. It’s amazing that we can bring our doubts to Him, even if they may be towards Him, but that it helps to deepen our relationship and faith. This was great for me to re-read today, glad you stumbled upon it!