Questioning

04.27.14

Matthew 14.28 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” (NIV)

I have been told that Peter walked on water twice: once to Jesus on the water, and again with Jesus back to the boat. (I’ve never walked on water at all so Peter is two up on me…) What stood out to me today in the re-read of this account is Peter’s words to the Lord: Lord, if it is You, tell me to come to You on the water. That is for one, is so Peter; and for another, so human: God if this is You, send me some kind of sign. Peter didn’t ask a question but he questioned his faith.

I wonder what Abraham thought when he took Isaac up Moriah to sacrifice him. I don’t recall any, “Lord, if this is You…” in that story; and it’s written in Hebrews that Abraham believed God would somehow raise Isaac from the dead. Isaac was the child of promise. (Hebrews 11.19) So he made his way up the mountain to slit Isaac’s throat.

I have on numerous occasions played the God-if-this-is-You card. I’m playing it currently. I have an opportunity I’m exploring and I’ve said to God, Lord, if this isn’t You, then I want nothing to do with it – but if it is You, then I’m going to keep going until the door slams in my face. Why does there even have to be a question in the first place?

If it’s God, it’s going to happen. God knew Peter would get out of the boat, walk for a ways, get frightened by the reality of what was happening, and begin to sink. Peter was a fisherman for crying out loud – he knew about the water for heaven’s sake! I’ll bet he was a pretty good swimmer as well. He just wasn’t all that good at water walking…but he tried. With God’s permission.

I think the question is asked because we all would readily admit our limitations in approaching what we call the future and our lack of control over it. We want to succeed. We want to be prosperous and happy and feel we’ve made the right decision. And we want God’s stamp of approval on our decision. I think we think that is the Hall Pass to go ahead and do; our guarantee that all will be well. What do we think Peter’s memory of that event was: I walked on water, or, I sank?

Faith makes us ask the question; our humanness makes us question God’s involvement. I’m going forward with this thought: God, I’m going forward until I can’t go forward anymore. Then I’ll ask You what to do and where to go after that. For right now though, I’m going to trust You’re in this; or better, I’m in this with You. I do pray for success, but I don’t need Your approval – I already have that. I simply ask for Your guidance is all I do that it may bring glory to You. (And God, if this is You, I want Your help, and Your blessing. Win or lose, I want to go with You.)

Questioning is not a lack of faith. Watching the wind and the waves only proves how much we need Him when we walk back to the boat – or in any other endeavor we find ourselves in…