Be Strong in Faith

Read Matthew Chapter 14 first, and then the application below. One of the themes of the gospel of Matthew is “Stay Close to God,” and the chapters show how.   

Matthew Ch. 14:  Be strong in faith: apply the truth to the situation at hand, and act on it.

v.1-12  Don’t stop short of faith—repent when you have sinned, and set things right.

v.13-21  Do the impossible—use the resources that Jesus makes available to you, to complete the assignment that He has given you.

v.22-33  “Walk on water” in the midst of your storms—encounter troubles successfully by focusing on Jesus, not on the troubles, and by trusting in His power to help you.

Other Application:

• Respond in faith when you are troubled (when your calmness of mind is taken away).
• Let the sight of Jesus inspire you to go past being afraid, to “walking on water” in the storms of life. (the sight of Jesus – understanding who He is, what He does, and how that applies to you)

Commentary Note:

v.23 To pray. Habitual communion with God, and daily retirement for this purpose, is essential to holiness of character, and to great usefulness among men. It is also a safeguard against temptation, and a good preparation for the best discharge of duty.¹

v.34-36  Bring others to Jesus, that by touching Him (exercising faith in Him and His word), they may be made perfectly whole.

_____________________________

Personal Application:  How strong is your faith in Jesus?

• v.1-12  Do you know the truth, but do things that are contrary to it?
• v.13-21  Do you have enough faith to follow Jesus, but not enough to draw upon His resources for ministry?
• v.22-33  Is your fear stronger than your faith? Do you have enough faith to try new things, but not enough faith to sustain you in them?
• v.34-36  Do you have such faith in Jesus and His healing powers, that you bring others to Him?

_________________

1. Family Bible Notes, Family Bible Notes, quoted in Phil Lindner, Power Bible CD, CD-ROM (Bronson, Mich.: Online Publishing, Inc., 2007), Matt 14:23.
*This excerpt comes from Beebe Kauffman, A Whole Lot of Wonderful—Application of the New Testament for Today (Buford, Georgia: Lighthouse Bible Studies, 2018), 64-65.