John 20:24-29 | TPT One of the twelve wasn’t present when Jesus appeared to them—it was Thomas, whose nickname was “the Twin.” (25) So the disciples informed him, “We have seen the Lord with our own eyes!” Still unconvinced, Thomas replied, “There’s no way I’m going to believe this unless I personally see the wounds of the nails in his hands, touch them with my finger, and put my hand into the wound of his side where he was pierced!” (26) Then eight days later, Thomas and all the others were in the house together. And even though all the doors were locked, Jesus suddenly stood before them! “Peace to you,” he said. (27) Then, looking into Thomas’ eyes, he said, “Put your finger here in the wounds of my hands. Here—put your hand into my wounded side and see for yourself. Thomas, don’t give in to your doubts any longer, just believe!” (28) Then the words spilled out of his heart—“You are my Lord, and you are my God!” (29) Jesus responded, “Thomas, now that you’ve seen me, you believe. But there are those who have never seen me with their eyes but have believed in me with their hearts, and they will be blessed even more!”
Matthew 14:25-33 | NKJV (25) Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. (26) And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. (27) But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” (28) And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” (29) So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. (30) But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” (31) And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (32) And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. (33) Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
Doubt robbed Peter of being able to fully walk on the water to Jesus.
He started out walking on the water but doubt robbed Peter of Jesus’ highest and best.
As long as he acted on the word of Jesus, he walked on the water.
Doubt interrupts the flow of God’s power in your life.
When he got his eyes off of Jesus and on the circumstances, he got afraid and began to sink.
Jesus is the Word of God. So, we must keep our eyes on the Word of God.
James 1:5-8 | NKJV (5) If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. (6) But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. (7) For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; (8) he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Doubt never starts in the heart; it always starts in your mind. (Mark 11:23)
It is like a seed that gets planted in your mind, planted there by the enemy. The enemy offers a suggestion to your mind. You choose what happens to that seed of doubt.
Because we do not understand that doubt is a process, we think that if we have a thought of doubt, then we have lost because we messed up and got over into doubt.
Mark 11:22-23 | NKJV (22) So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. (23) For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
If you dwell on thoughts of doubt, they will become rooted in your thinking and get down into your heart, and unbelief is the end result.
Doubt and unbelief rob people of being able to receive the blessings that Jesus wants to give them.
Mark 6:5 | NKJV (5) Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.
How do we overcome doubt?
Romans 4:19-21 | NKJV (19) And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. (20) He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, (21) and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
Consider – to think carefully about something
What are we to consider?
Hebrews 3:1 | NKJV (1) Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus,
When Peter got his eyes off of Jesus and on the circumstances, he got afraid and began to sink.
Jesus is the Word of God. So, we must keep our eyes on the Word of God.
When you are in unbelief, you are still believing something, it’s just the wrong thing.
Matthew 14:31 | NKJV And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Peter began to believe that he was going to perish more than He believed the Word of Jesus when He said “Come”.
When doubt and fear try to come and present themselves to you, open your mouth and call it for what it is and rebuke it.
James 4:7 | NKJV (7) Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
Resist – (Greek) stand against whether in deed or word
You cannot answer the devil in your mind, you must open your mouth. This is what Jesus had to do in his temptation of the devil.
Luke 4:4 | NKJV (4) But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD OF GOD.’ “