And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”...
Is God in the process of stretching your faith for you to see a greater breakthrough in your life? Just like muscles only grow stronger when placed under resistance, our faith grows when it is tested and stretched. Without that tension, there is no development. In the same way, on this journey of life, we encounter circumstances that require us to lean deeper into God, building a stronger faith that carries us into His purposes.
In Scripture, Romans 12:3 states, “God has dealt to every man a measure of faith.” This verse explains that God distributes the same measure of faith to all believers at the point of salvation. There are situations in all of our lives that will place an increased demand on the measure of faith we possess. These moments require our faith to grow and stretch in order to fulfill the purpose God has ordained for our lives. In these moments, doubt, fear, and unbelief can hinder our spiritual progress and the level of breakthrough we achieve.
We read in Matthew 14:31, where Peter started to walk on the water, but then, focusing on the external circumstances, became afraid and began to sink. Jesus responds to Peter, saying, “You of little faith, why did you doubt me?” The Lord had given Peter the spoken word “Come”, but the external circumstances grew boisterous and drowned out the Word. The voice of the Lord, His Word, must remain louder than any outside noise for us to move in faith over fear.
In another passage, Matthew 9:20, we read about the woman with the issue of blood, who, out of desperation for her healing, moved beyond social and religious boundaries. She pushed through the crowd and, in faith, touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. Immediately, her bleeding stopped, and Jesus declared to her, “Her faith has made her well.”
When we focus on the negative aspects of our situation, we can feel like Peter sinking in our faith. When we focus on the One who is greater than all our circumstances, we have an increased demand on the measure of faith that allows us to reach beyond the norm, to stretch our faith, and see the miraculous.
D.L. Moody said, “If our circumstances find us in God, we shall find God in all our circumstances.” This is a powerful truth. Remember that you are never alone and that God is always bigger than whatever circumstances seem stacked up against you. When you maximize His power and minimize your problem, your faith will be strengthened and grow. Whatever you may be facing in this moment, rest assured that God always responds to faith with healing, deliverance, strength, and the fulfillment of His will.
When we focus on the negative aspects of our situation, we can feel like Peter sinking in our faith. When we focus on the One who is greater than all our circumstances, we have an increased demand on the measure of faith that allows us to reach beyond the norm, to stretch our faith, and see the miraculous.
D.L. Moody said, “If our circumstances find us in God, we shall find God in all our circumstances.” This is a powerful truth. Remember that you are never alone and that God is always bigger than whatever circumstances seem stacked up against you. When you maximize His power and minimize your problem, your faith will be strengthened and grow. Whatever you may be facing in this moment, rest assured that God always responds to faith with healing, deliverance, strength, and the fulfillment of His will.
