One of the most superhuman abilities that we have the opportunity to see man display occurs in Matthew 14 when Peter walks on water. Peter asks Jesus to allow him to experience this phenomenon and the Lord gives His consent. Peter is doing well walking on the water until he looks out of the corner of his eye and sees the wind coming. I’m sure that Peter was thinking to himself that there was no way he could continue his stroll on the water with the wind tossing him to and fro. Peter is worried and as a result of him being afraid and taking his eyes off Jesus, he begins to sink. The Lord catches him and asks Peter, “Why did you doubt?”
In our lives, there are sure to be moments when the wind blows and causes us to doubt. The death of a loved one, a financial crisis, the loss of a relationship, family problems, trouble on the job–all of these are examples of “wind”. When the wind blows in our lives, it causes us to doubt, to be frustrated, to be despondent. The Lord would not have us to respond in this way. When the wind blows, the Lord would have us to respond with a greater degree of faith.
As I have studied Peter’s experience on the lake, I have always wondered why the wind appeared when it did. Somehow, I just don’t believe that the wind was there by some strange coincidence. I believe the wind was there to test Peter’s faith in the Lord. It’s an interesting thought because Jesus is right there on the lake with Peter. You would think that Peter would be confident. You would think that he would be courageous. But when the wind comes, Peter’s human tendency to doubt and be afraid takes over.
Yes, the wind is there and we can assume for biblical purposes that the wind is there on purpose. Who then, sent the wind? My assumption has always been that the Lord sent the wind to test Peter’s faith. The Lord does control the weather, doesn’t he? Since the wind blows, I have just felt that the Lord sent the wind. However, my position was challenged recently by my minister who felt that the wind was sent by the devil to shake Peter up. This theory actually makes alot of sense too. We know that the devil is busy causing problems in all of our lives and it makes sense that he would want to challenge Peter’s faith in this way.
In our own lives, the wind will blow from time to time. Whether the Lord sends the wind to test our faith or whether the devil sends the wind to shake our peace, we can expect situations to pop up that will challenge us and reveal how strong our faith in God really is. Our job as Christians is to respond by being strong and full of faith during those times. The Lord is watching and the more faith we have in Him, the more pleased He is with us.
And how can you increase your faith? Rid yourself of the sin that blocks you from having a whole and healthy relationship with the Lord, grow in the Lord through fellowship with other Christians, participate in bible study and prayer, and spend more time getting to know the Lord. The closer you feel like you are to Him, the more faith in Him you will have. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 11 that “without faith it is impossible to please God”. Therefore, it is our duty and responsibility as Christians to work on our faith. The next time the wind blows in your life and your faith is tested, respond in a way that you know God would be proud of.