Matthew 14:22-31
One of the primary components of a prosperous and productive walk in God is our ability to resist fearful thoughts and temptations sent by the enemy. These thoughts, while not necessarily a true reflection of who we are, can eventually define who we become. James 4:7 tells us that we should resist the devil and that he will flee from us. We must know that, no matter what the word of God has spoken concerning our futures and destinies, Satan will try with all his might to discourage and derail us from them. That’s his job.
Matthew 10:36 – A man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
He uses those things that matter the most to us against us. Yes, he will use our families, our dreams, our desires as weapons against our faith in God. He tells us things like “God doesn’t love you, for if He did, He wouldn’t have allowed that dreadful thing to happen to you.” In the midst of our trials, he might ask “where is God? Why hasn’t He answered your prayer yet?” His intent is to plant seeds of doubt that, even if we consider them, can cancel the blessing that God had already placed in motion for us.
Our lesson today is set immediately after Jesus Christ had fed the 5000 plus people from 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread. He is commanding his disciples to go over onto the other side of the sea by boat while He went up into the mountains to pray.
Jesus did what most of us don’t do enough – He went away to be alone with His Father, and that has a greater significance than we really imagine. Why? Because it was here that Jesus was strengthened for His next task. It was here that God met Him and encouraged Him in the journey. It was here that He received His marching orders.
Immediately after coming out of the mountains in prayer, He decided to go and meet with His disciples. It was now the 4th watch of the night, which most suppose to be about 3:00 AM. The 1st watch began at 6:00 PM, the 2nd began at 9:00 PM, the 3rd began at midnight, and the 4th began at 3:00 AM and ended at 6:00 AM.
Watch
-
Time of the night during which guard was kept
-
The earlier Greeks divided the night commonly into 3 parts
-
The present ruling party, the Romans, divided their watch into 4 so the Jews adopted that custom as their own
The scriptures also tell us that the disciples were troubled and cried out for fear. This is probably as natural a response for them or any of us for that matter.
Proverbs 3:25-26 – Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
2 Timothy 1:7 – For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
This scripture is often used out of its proper context. Notice that Paul said that we don’t have the “spirit of fear” and not that we wouldn’t ever become fearful. His admonition is more in tune with those who are bound by fear, afraid of any and everything they encounter. This is a cowardly spirit, one that causes men to become quickly discouraged in or be deterred from the work of the Lord. These are they that cannot be used in any military encounter because, when faced with opposition, they turn tail and run. These are the ones that John wrote about in Revelation 21:8 – “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable . . . , shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone.”
1 John 4:18 – “Fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”
Fear is the by-product of Doubt.
Romans 4:18-21 – Abraham was fully persuaded concerning God’s promises
What John is telling us here is that those who are not fully persuaded as it pertains to the promises of God, cannot walk by faith. They are always looking back over their shoulder almost as if they have a greater expectation that evil things will happen than good.
Do you know anyone who can’t bring themselves to believe good things for themselves? Do you know people whose pattern of speak is a reflection of negativism instead of faith. These are they whose love for God has not been perfected, because perfect love casts out or strengthens us to overcome our fears.
Why do you think that Jesus Christ prayed as earnestly as He did in the garden of Gethsemane? Hebrews 5:7-9 says that Jesus, “who in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that He feared, though He were a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered, and being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him.”
Jesus always went alone to be with His Father just before a great trial of affliction and so should we.
So, it’s no great surprise that disciples were afraid, but Jesus comforted them, saying, “Be of good cheer, it is I. Be not afraid.” But even in this they were not fully persuaded. They needed to feel or see something to prove that it was Him. That’s why Peter said “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” At this point in his ministry, Peter still needed tangible proof of the presence of Jesus Christ, just as most of us do today. Most Christians don’t really believe the scripture admonishing us in Matthew 18:20 that, “where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Many feel that God is only present in the multitudes.
Peter did great to obey the Lord and to step out of the boat and he was OK until “he saw the wind boisterous” and he became afraid, causing him to sink. As he cried out to Jesus for help, Jesus addressed his lack of faith by asking him “wherefore didst thou doubt?”
I used to believe that God would not move if there was any doubt in the midst, but I’ve revised my thinking concerning this. Why? There will rarely be an occasion where absolutely “no doubt” exists, for the enemy will constantly bring things to battle our faith in God. It’s not the battling of our faith where we lose, but in our submission to the doubt. Satan might tempt you with a drink of liquor, but the sin is not in the temptation, but in submitting ourselves unto them.
I remember singing this hymn when I was a child, not really understanding what it really meant.
Yield not to temptation
For yielding is sin
Each victory will help you
Some other to win
Fight manfully onward
Dark passions subdue
Look ever to Jesus
He will carry you through
Shun evil companions
Bad language disdain
God’s name hold in reverence
Nor take it in vain
Be thoughtful and earnest
Kind-hearted and true
Look ever to Jesus
He will carry you through
Ask the Savior to help you
Comfort, strengthen and keep you
He is willing to aid you
He will carry you through
Mark 9:14-24 – The man asks Christ to help his unbelief
1 Corinthians 10:13 – There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
I am called to remember the ministry of one of the greatest prophets ever, Elijah the Tishbite. He was introduced suddenly to the scriptures with no mention of his upbringing in 1 Kings 17. He is found here delivering this warning to King Ahab that, “As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” The Lord then commanded him to retreat himself and to hide by a brook located near the Jordan River for a little space.
The kind of boldness that Elijah possessed was a direct result of his personal relationship with God. The courage to stand before such a wicked king and to proclaim such a curse placed him in the category of prophets like unto Moses. There have been very few men or women of God like these. The scriptures tell us that “Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.”
Elijah did very well until Jezebel, Ahab’s wife, persuaded Ahab to kill him. He performed miracles like none other
-
He blessed the widow’s portion of oil and meal so that it did not fail them
-
He laid his body upon the body of the widow’s dead son and brought him back to life
-
He called down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice in the presence of Ahab’s prophets just before commanded their deaths at the brook Kishon
1 Kings 18:21-
Elijah asked a very pertinent question. He asked “How long halt ye between two opinions?’ That’s a question that we should ask ourselves today. How long will we be tossed to and fro between conflicting and contrary opinions? If the Lord is God, then we should follow Him with our whole heart.
James 1:2-8 – A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
We will see Elijah, later in the scriptures, becoming weary from the battles and giving in to the temptations of the enemy to quit.
1 Kings 19:1 – Jezebel seeks to kill Elijah and he began to fear.
Ephesians 4:11-15 – Be no more children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine (teachings, instructions, ideologies, philosophies).
This may be a little off topic, but I really feel bad for people who church hop. I do. They are probably the most confused people you could ever want to meet. They don’t know what to believe, they don’t know who to follow, and they have no scriptural foundation upon which to stand. Paul is warning us against this, for to be tossed to and fro is a dizzying experience, to say the least. Their faith rarely grows to the potential that it could, and they are usually left standing on the outside looking in.
1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion
Our confessions must always reflect the fulfillment of God’s promises. The Bible tells us that we’ll be saved as we confess, with our mouths, the Lord Jesus. What we say has a lot of influence upon our victory.
Matthew 12:37 – By our words we will be justified, and by our words we will be condemned.
Proverbs 18:21 – Death and life are in the power of the tongue.
We must believe that, no matter what we’re going through, God is there with and for us. No weapon formed against us will prosper against the children of the kingdom, and every tongue that riseth against us in judgment shall be condemned.
Greater is He that is in us that he that is in the world. We have an awesome inheritance as children of the kingdom. We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, and we can do all things through Christ which strengthens us. He will never leave nor forsake us, but will always send the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, to guide us through the maze of trials we face.
Philippians 4:4-9 – The God of peace shall keep our hearts, so we should be careful for nothing.
