Day 30: Holding Your Attention

Week 5, Tuesday, February 2

Text: Matthew 14:29-30
“Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Thought for the day:
Did Peter do anything that bad? I think if I had been walking on water, and the wind started to blow, I would certainly be a little nervous. After Jesus saved Peter, he scolded Peter, asking why he doubted, and saying Peter had little faith.

I think Peter had a great deal of faith to merely step out of the boat. The other disciples didn’t even make a move to step out. However, Jesus was not scolding Peter for his faith to get out of the boat, He was scolding Peter for his short attention span.

A life of faith is more than merely having occasional moment of extreme trust. If we trust Jesus in a moment of crisis, and than forget about Him a few days later, we have demonstrated faith, but little faith. Faith matures as we intently focus our lives on Christ. Peter would have had a big faith, if he had been able to continue to trust that Christ would sustain Him even though the wind was blowing.

The practice of spiritual disciplines helps us develop a focus on Christ, so that our little faith can grow up.

Journal/Exercise:
Look back in your journal to Day 9. On that day you were asked to write down one prayer request that would be the focus of your prayers for your time of fasting. Have you been able to focus on that prayer request? How has God responded to that request in the last three weeks? Write down that prayer request again, and whether you have seen God working in response to that prayer.