“If God is so good, why do I sometimes feel so bad?”
“If his message is so clear, why do I get so confused?”
“If the Father is in control, why do good people have gut-wrenching problems?”
1. What are some other tough questions that we face when we’re are dealing with doubt?
Reflection:
Their question—What hope do we have of surviving a stormy night?
My question—Where is God when his world is stormy?
Doubtstorms: turbulent days when the enemy is too big, the task too great, the future too bleak, and the answers too few.
Every so often a storm will come and I’ll look up into the blackening sky and say, “God, a little light, please?”
The light came for the disciples. A figure came to them walking on the water. It wasn’t what they expected. Perhaps they were looking for angels to descend or heaven to open. Maybe they were listening for a divine proclamation to still the storm. We don’t know what they were looking for. But one thing is for sure, they weren’t looking for Jesus to come walking on the water … and since Jesus came in a way they didn’t expect, they almost missed seeing the answer to their prayers.
And unless we look, and listen closely, we risk making the same mistake. God’s lights in our dark nights are as numerous as the stars, if only we’ll look for them.
2. Describe a time when God has come to you or someone you know in a time of darkness.
3. On what do we base our expectations of how God will help us?
A Message from the Word
25Between three and six o’clock in the morning, Jesus came to them, walking on the water. 26When his followers saw him walking on the water, they were afraid. They said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out in fear.
27But Jesus quickly spoke to them, “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”
28Peter said, “Lord, if it is really you, then command me to come to you on the water.”
29Jesus said, “Come.”
And Peter left the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. 30But when Peter saw the wind and the waves, he became afraid and began to sink. He shouted, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter. Jesus said, “Your faith is small. Why did you doubt?”
32After they got into the boat, the wind became calm. 33Then those who were in the boat worshiped Jesus and said, “Truly you are the Son of God!”
Matthew 14:25–33
4. What are some theories about why Jesus was unrecognizable to the disciples?
5. Why do you think Peter wanted to go to Jesus on the water rather than asking Jesus to come to him?
6. How do you think faith enables miracles such as Peter standing on water?
More from the Word
22One day Jesus and his followers got into a boat, and he said to them, “Let’s go across the lake.” And so they started across. 23While they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. A very strong wind blew up on the lake, causing the boat to fill with water, and they were in danger.
24The followers went to Jesus and woke him, saying, “Master! Master! We will drown!”
Jesus got up and gave a command to the wind and the waves. They stopped, and it became calm. 25Jesus said to his followers, “Where is your faith?”
The followers were afraid and amazed and said to each other, “Who is this that commands even the wind and the water, and they obey him?”
Luke 8:22–25
7. After having witnessed Jesus’ power and miracles, why do you think the disciples were still amazed when he worked a miracle?
8. Give some possible reasons why Jesus would have been sleeping during a storm.
9. Do you think the disciple’s lack of faith centered on their fear of the storm, or their inability to calm the storm?
My Reflections
“When Jesus comes,” the disciples in the boat may have thought, “he’ll split the sky. The sea will be calm. The clouds will disperse.”
“When God comes,” we doubters think, “all pain will flee. Life will be tranquil. No questions will remain.”
And because we look for the bonfire, we miss the candle. Because we listen for the shout, we miss the whisper.
But it is in burnished candles that God comes, and through whispered promises he speaks: “When you doubt, look around; I am closer than you think.”
Journal
What are my expectations of how God will meet me in my life?
For Further Study
To study more about doubts read Matthew 13:57–58; Mark 16:14–18; James 1:5–7; Jude 1:22–23.
Additional Questions
10. What kinds of things make us doubt God?
11. How different do you think our eyes would be if we chose faith more often than fear?
12. Why is God so insulted by disbelief?
“If his message is so clear, why do I get so confused?”
“If the Father is in control, why do good people have gut-wrenching problems?”
1. What are some other tough questions that we face when we’re are dealing with doubt?
Reflection:
Their question—What hope do we have of surviving a stormy night?
My question—Where is God when his world is stormy?
Doubtstorms: turbulent days when the enemy is too big, the task too great, the future too bleak, and the answers too few.
Every so often a storm will come and I’ll look up into the blackening sky and say, “God, a little light, please?”
The light came for the disciples. A figure came to them walking on the water. It wasn’t what they expected. Perhaps they were looking for angels to descend or heaven to open. Maybe they were listening for a divine proclamation to still the storm. We don’t know what they were looking for. But one thing is for sure, they weren’t looking for Jesus to come walking on the water … and since Jesus came in a way they didn’t expect, they almost missed seeing the answer to their prayers.
And unless we look, and listen closely, we risk making the same mistake. God’s lights in our dark nights are as numerous as the stars, if only we’ll look for them.
2. Describe a time when God has come to you or someone you know in a time of darkness.
3. On what do we base our expectations of how God will help us?
A Message from the Word
25Between three and six o’clock in the morning, Jesus came to them, walking on the water. 26When his followers saw him walking on the water, they were afraid. They said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out in fear.
27But Jesus quickly spoke to them, “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”
28Peter said, “Lord, if it is really you, then command me to come to you on the water.”
29Jesus said, “Come.”
And Peter left the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. 30But when Peter saw the wind and the waves, he became afraid and began to sink. He shouted, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter. Jesus said, “Your faith is small. Why did you doubt?”
32After they got into the boat, the wind became calm. 33Then those who were in the boat worshiped Jesus and said, “Truly you are the Son of God!”
Matthew 14:25–33
4. What are some theories about why Jesus was unrecognizable to the disciples?
5. Why do you think Peter wanted to go to Jesus on the water rather than asking Jesus to come to him?
6. How do you think faith enables miracles such as Peter standing on water?
More from the Word
22One day Jesus and his followers got into a boat, and he said to them, “Let’s go across the lake.” And so they started across. 23While they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. A very strong wind blew up on the lake, causing the boat to fill with water, and they were in danger.
24The followers went to Jesus and woke him, saying, “Master! Master! We will drown!”
Jesus got up and gave a command to the wind and the waves. They stopped, and it became calm. 25Jesus said to his followers, “Where is your faith?”
The followers were afraid and amazed and said to each other, “Who is this that commands even the wind and the water, and they obey him?”
Luke 8:22–25
7. After having witnessed Jesus’ power and miracles, why do you think the disciples were still amazed when he worked a miracle?
8. Give some possible reasons why Jesus would have been sleeping during a storm.
9. Do you think the disciple’s lack of faith centered on their fear of the storm, or their inability to calm the storm?
My Reflections
“When Jesus comes,” the disciples in the boat may have thought, “he’ll split the sky. The sea will be calm. The clouds will disperse.”
“When God comes,” we doubters think, “all pain will flee. Life will be tranquil. No questions will remain.”
And because we look for the bonfire, we miss the candle. Because we listen for the shout, we miss the whisper.
But it is in burnished candles that God comes, and through whispered promises he speaks: “When you doubt, look around; I am closer than you think.”
Journal
What are my expectations of how God will meet me in my life?
For Further Study
To study more about doubts read Matthew 13:57–58; Mark 16:14–18; James 1:5–7; Jude 1:22–23.
Additional Questions
10. What kinds of things make us doubt God?
11. How different do you think our eyes would be if we chose faith more often than fear?
12. Why is God so insulted by disbelief?
No comments:
Post a Comment