| Matthew 14:22-32
Jesus spent time developing His disciples’ faith because He knew it would be essential for the tasks ahead of them. For over three years, the 12 men attended “classes” where Christ was their instructor in both word and action. Sometimes He used verbal instruction, but many of the lessons were taught through demonstrations—such as healing the sick, casting out demons, feeding thousands, and calming the sea.
At times the disciples’ understanding was slow or faltering, but Christ never gave up on them. He reproved them when they exhibited a lack of trust (Mark 4:40) but also commended progress (Matt. 16:15-17). His objective was to establish their faith so He could accomplish His work in and through them.
The Lord has the same goal for us—to increase our faith so we can do the work He has planned for us (Eph. 2:10). Faith building is a necessity for every Christian, and God has two primary means of going about this: Scripture tells us what to believe about Him; and tests place us in difficult situations that stretch us to believe and rely on God instead of our own understanding (Prov. 3:5). Each time we believe Him, our faith grows.
Bible in One Year: Revelation 18-22 |
