Immediately Jesus reached out his hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, 

"You of little faith, 

why did you doubt?"

Matthew 14:31 CSB

Peter was walking on the water...until he wasn't. 

We often focus on Peter getting distracted by the storm, takes his eyes off Jesus, and sinks.

But Jesus isn't concerned about the storm, or the sinking, but in what is going on in Peter's heart. 

Doubt. 

Doubt about who Jesus is.

And the Doubt arrives when faith shrinks, when faith is too small. 

"Why did you doubt?"

I wonder what Peter's answer was to Jesus question.

(Spoiler alert - see v33 for the group answer).

I wonder if this will be a question Jesus asks me;

"Why did you doubt?"

And maybe that's where this story being found in the storm, in the middle of the night is helpful.

When things are against us, there's fear, we can't see the shore, lost sight of where we've come from and where we're going, we're tired, we've just gone it alone by jumping out of the boat with our people in it...our faith wavers in the face of all that's going on.

One day we'll see Jesus face to face, and he may well ask that question "why did you doubt?"

But he isn't accusing, he's gently welcoming, reminding us again that he is who he said he is, the One who loves you.

#wordsofJesus 

#redletterBible 

#questionsJesusasks

#youareBeloved