Peter’s belief becomes faith

Mike was babysitting his five year old daughter Melissa while he was repairing the roof.

Not a good combination in the best of times.

As Mike returned to his ladder after a visit to the garage to get a tool, he found Melissa on the roof, grinning widely. As he began ascending the ladder, she began running from his advance, further endangering herself. He backed down and asked her to sit down, but she had a growing fascination with ‘edges.’

Realizing that he couldn’t get to her fast enough by climbing the ladder, he positioned himself under her and told her to jump. She looked down, saw her dad below and believed that he could catch her.

But it was at the moment her feet left the roof that her belief became true faith!

–       Abraham’s belief in God’s promise of his becoming the father of a nation … became faith when he raised the knife over his son (his only son!) Genesis 22

–       Gideon’s belief that God would use him to free his people from the Mideonites … became faith when he set out at night with just 300 men to face 135,000 tested enemy soldiers. Judges 7

–       Peter’s belief that Jesus’ invitation to water-walk was doable … became faith when with feet in/on the water he let go of the side of the boat. Matthew 14

–       Moses’ belief that God’s rescue could get Israel to the Promised Land … became faith when he stretched out his walking stick over the Red Sea as a vast multitude of his disbelieving fellow-countrymen looked on skeptically. Exodus 14

–      And Israel’s fledgling belief in Moses and his God … became faith as they stepped between the towering walls of water and made their way across the Red Sea

There is no question but that our belief systems need testing. Otherwise they’re just so many words coming out of our mouths. At some point we will be required to act on our confession. God is wanting the words of our mouths to be backed up by an assurance in our hearts.

It’s possible to speak positively about things we aren’t positive about. But when faith’s been tested, then the mouth begins speaking out of the abundance of those convictions. Those words are powerful and priceless.

This week be ready for your beliefs to be challenged until they turn into faith. Our world needs to see the reality behind what we’ve been saying!

May you find joy for your journey!

Paul Walterman