Originally published December 30, 2010:
Are you ever tempted to think how much easier it would be for us to put our faith into full practice if only Christ were here with us? Not just in our hearts or by His Spirit, but visibly, audibly, tangibly present. If that were the case, how could we possibly fail to trust, love and obey Him?
Are you ever tempted to think how much easier it would be for us to put our faith into full practice if only Christ were here with us? Not just in our hearts or by His Spirit, but visibly, audibly, tangibly present. If that were the case, how could we possibly fail to trust, love and obey Him?
A stroll through the first few chapters of The Gospels should quickly cure us of that delusion - that is, unless we somehow set ourselves above the disciples. Take Peter, for example. You know...that world-renowned rock on which the apostolic church is built...yeah, that Peter. He had Christ's literal, physical presence. He heard His voice, felt His touch, looked in His eyes, and was an eyewitness of all manner of miracles - the casting out of demons; the healing of the lame, blind, deaf, mute, and leprous; the stilling of the storm; the RAISING OF THE DEAD!! Well no wonder he had faith! Unfaltering, unwavering faith!!
Well...there was this one time...
Peter had just witnessed His Lord feed a crowd of more than 5,000 with a mere pittance of fish and bread. He must have been on an emotional high after such a spectacular experience! In fact, he was so filled with faith that, a few hours later when Christ came walking across the water toward the disciples, Peter asked to join Him! By faith, and at Christ's bidding, Peter climbed out of the boat and walked toward his Master. HE WAS WALKING ON WATER, PEOPLE! With his whole mind, heart, and senses, he was observing and participating in a tangible miracle!
Yet, in the very midst of this experience, he saw a wave coming and was filled with terror. Christ was right there with him...in the flesh...and he was overcome with doubt and fear! How can this be?! I suppose you and I would be foolish to imagine we would have done anything differently than Peter did. Apparently, a clay vessel is a clay vessel.
But you know what the BEST part of this story is? When Peter, filled with doubt, began to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" And how did Christ respond?
But you know what the BEST part of this story is? When Peter, filled with doubt, began to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" And how did Christ respond?
"Where is your faith, Peter? You had it just a moment ago!"
"C'mon, Peter! I'm RIGHT HERE! Pull yourself together, son!"
"Aw, Peter. I'm disappointed. After all you have seen and experienced, you still don't trust me? What's it gonna take?"
No. Christ could have lambasted or skewered him with any number of honest and well-deserved rebukes, but He didn't. He didn't shame him or lecture him for his lack of faith.
Instead...He immediately reached out and took hold of Peter and brought him to the safety of the boat. Even then Peter received only the gentle rebuke of a compassionate parent, "Little Faith, why did you doubt?"
When we find our own faith is small...smaller than we thought it was...smaller than it ought to be based on our knowledge and experience, we can lose heart, or we can remember this: the Triune God has revealed Himself to us in the person of Christ. This is what our God is like! Compassionate. Longsuffering. Ready and anxious to take hold of us as soon as we call out for deliverance! Even when our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts. He knows our frame and remembers that we are dust. By His grace He will keep us calling out, "Lord, save me!" and confessing, "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief!"
Believe this and be at rest.
4 comments:
Dear Lori, I was just thinking, in the context of your thesis here (the supposition that we might practice our faith with more purity and success if we were in Jesus' actual physical presence) of how vital the Word of Christ is to our faith, to our very life ("...Christ, who is our life ..." - Colossians 3:4). Peter's epistles are top candidates for my favorite books of the Bible, because I can so relate to the more base parts of his character: big mouth, impulsive, the "bull in a china shop" type of guy, a man who tenderly grieved over his sin when confronted, a man prone to despairing over his failures "I go a fishing.", a man who ended his race victoriously. In this context of physical presence vs. the walk of faith, Peter so beautifully expounded upon this when he said that, though he was "... with him in the holy mount", the Scriptures were superior to that experience ("We have also a more sure word of prophecy...") and that we would do well to take heed unto them. I sometimes (like right now, for example!) long to be able to hear, see, feel, touch, be held and strengthened by our Saviour in a tangible way, and that longing for him is good and proper, just as my longing to hold my daughter, who is 3.5 hours away from me right now, is good and proper. I love her, thus, I long for her presence. She is my flesh and blood, and we belong together. It is the same with our Saviour, our everlasting Father, our Friend that sticketh closer than a brother, our Refuge, "...whom having not seen, [we] love...". At this point, as with all else, our motive comes into play. Why do I long to see him? Are we of the wicked and adulterous generation that seeks a sign? Are we longing for deliverance from our sorrows, instead of desiring the fellowship of his sufferings? There is, doubtless, a significant taint of my impure motives in my desire for him. Still, I need not despair, because he knows my frame and remembers that I am dust. Sinking in my state of imperfect faith, I feel a hand -- strong, mightily strong, yet gentle -- grasp my own and lift me, stablish, strengthen, settle me, establish my goings. Yes, I am somewhat ashamed that my faith wavered, because I wanted this loving Saviour of mine to receive perfect love and unfaltering trust, but he knows my frame, accepts what I have brought to him, though flawed, and comforts my trembling heart.
Thank you for painting such a pretty picture of this great, patient Jesus of ours, dear Lori.
You know...it's bad manners to trump the blogger with a comment superior to the post. ;-)
But seriously...thanks for sharing your experience and your faith.
Me leave a comment superior to anything you wrote? That'll be the day. I am flattered that you would say that, but I know better than to allow your sweet, edifying statement to puff me up - you're the unquestioned, unrivaled master of this domain, while I timidly enter with fear and trembling! I really <3 reading what comes from your heart. You're pretty amazing. Pretty and amazing. ;-) Thank you again for what you are.
Wow, I enter into this thread with real trepidation....
This happens to be my "favorite devotional", first delivered at a Committee on Administration meeting in Atlanta 3/14/86, and subsequently used at a Shepherding Group meeting 10 (or 20) years later. The punch line for me is verse 30, "But when he (Peter) saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink,.....". Taking one's eyes off Jesus and looking at the external circumstances causes us to sink. I need to be reminded of this every day.....
Thanks, Lori and Chris, for reinforcing this!
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