Daphne Delay is an author, speaker, and podcaster with a passion to help this generation discover who they are in Christ. She is the author of Facing the Mirror, Facing the Enemy, and Facing God. Daphne blogs nuggets of spiritual growth and encouragement every week at daphnedelay.com on the subjects of faith, purpose, and self. She knows first-hand what unworthiness, guilt, and condemnation can do to a believer. After an encounter with God at age 21, she discovered the truths of our righteousness in Christ — which she now teaches and ministers in a simple and easy-to-grasp-and-apply approach. She and her husband, Tod, are the senior pastors of Transformation Church in Seminole, Texas.
). He had faith to jump out of the boat when Jesus said to come. He even took a few steps— until “he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, ‘Lord, save me!’” Jesus immediately reached out to rescue him. And as He did, He said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (verse 29).
Peter’s faith wasn’t small. Peter’s faith was short-lived. We should give kudos to him for having faith big enough to jump out of the boat in a storm! There’s no doubt in my mind that Peter had big faith. The problem was that his faith was short-lived. The minute he paused to look around, his faith stopped.
Short-lived faith starts strong, but doesn’t make it.
Short-lived faith has big dreams, but lacks endurance.
Short-lived faith won’t suffice in today’s world.
Jesus is still asking this question today: “O you of [short-lived] faith, why did you stop believing?” Was it the pressure? Was it a lack of stamina? Was it a lack of desire? I think any of us, on any given day, might have to answer yes to one or all of these questions. So what do we do?
We increase the longevity of our faith by watering the seeds of faith every day. I wasn’t trying to be clever when I said it’s going to take more than Sunday morning faith. It’s actually true. Too many people rely on one spoon-fed feeding a week at church on Sundays and then wonder why the trials of life are overwhelming. “O you of little faith…”
You and I must do more than that. We will never reach the summit if we only let the guide (the pastor) feed us. At some point, we have to pick up our Bible, spend time in prayer, and exercise our faith in hard times. In order to have endurance faith, we have to have endurance period.
As one person said, “It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves” (Edmund Hilary).
I encourage you to make the climb, step out of the boat, and press through this hard season. Jesus was right there for Peter and He will be right there for you and I too. Our instruction is, just don’t stop.
When you read the story of Moses in Exodus, it’s obvious he ran from Egypt out of fear after killing a man and getting caught (
Exodus 2:11-15
Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews. After looking in all directions to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand. The next day, when Moses went out to visit his people again, he saw two Hebrew men fighting. "Why are you beating up your friend?" Moses said to the one who had started the fight. The man replied, "Who appointed you to be our prince and judge? Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?" Then Moses was afraid, thinking, "Everyone knows what I did." And sure enough, Pharaoh heard what had happened, and he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian. When Moses arrived in Midian, he sat down beside a well.
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). Moses had deep regret for his sin. He was young in faith and could have easily chosen to justify his actions to keep his status. I’m taking a guess here, but there are plenty of examples of kings and royalty rationalizing sinful behavior simply because of a title. But Moses didn’t do that. He ran — away from approval.
I can’t help but see the parallel in our generation. All of these centuries later, we are no different. Maybe our sin isn’t murder, but we are all guilty of things that are contrary to God and His love. The question is, what do you do when you realize your shortcomings? Do you justify them in order to keep your status? Or do you forsake them and run to God, risking rejection from the world?
I remember hearing a minister confess to his congregation one time about the many temptations he fights on a daily basis. This minister was highly esteemed so for a moment, the people were surprised at his confession. But he went on to say how although he’s tempted, he doesn’t choose those things because he loves God MORE.
And that’s the key.
I liked being liked, but I love God more. I want affirmation and approval, but I love God more. I hate it when I miss the mark and people see my sin, but I repent and ask for forgiveness because I love God more.
Do you understand? I’m certainly not saying I’ve arrived. I fail daily. My point is that, like Moses, I’ve learned it’s better to choose “to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.” (
Hebrews 11:25
He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.
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NKJV)
The Message Translation says, “By faith, Moses, when grown, refused the privileges of the Egyptian royal house. He chose a hard life with God’s people rather than an opportunistic soft life of sin with the oppressors. He valued suffering in the Messiah’s camp far greater than Egyptian wealth because he was looking ahead, anticipating the payoff...” (
Hebrews 11:25
He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.
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MSG)
Does this mean life has to be hard? Absolutely not! I’ve experienced far more love, peace, and provision walking with the Creator of heaven and earth than anything the god of this world could offer me — including being liked by others.
Not everyone will understand your choices, until they meet the One your soul loves. And think about that ... everyone makes choices based on the “one” their soul loves, whether it’s God or a spouse, or a girlfriend/boyfriend, or even a boss.
I want to encourage you today to reevaluate your choices. When you walk with God, you can walk away from sin and temptation. Is it easy? Not necessarily. But when you love God more than approval, you’ll find the reward is worth the temporary loss.
I smile at the thought of my dad growing tomatoes. I absolutely love his heart. And I love hearing the stories about the elderly who are so thankful for his weekly gift of tomatoes because they aren’t able to plant their own garden anymore. As the scripture says, they are so thankful for his kindness.
But this principle isn’t just about tomatoes. I’m not a gardener, but I sow regularly. And I’ve seen God’s faithfulness to multiply my seed.
I’m talking about His Word. I love the scriptures. And I love sharing encouragement from them. I tend to God’s Word every day and look for ways to post, blog, tweet, write, speak— you name it. If I can sow God’s Word in some form, I do. I occasionally hear from those it helps, but I’m not looking for compliments. Like my dad, it simply brings me great joy to share.
So what are you growing? What are you sowing?
I believe all of us have a crop to tend to — maybe it’s your family, maybe a neighborhood or an assisted living home. Maybe your field is your city, your job or your church. But without a doubt, you have something to share.
“But remember this — if you give little, you will get little. A farmer who plants just a few seeds will get only a small crop, but if he plants much, he will reap much. Everyone must make up his own mind as to how much he should give. Don’t force anyone to give more than he really wants to, for cheerful givers are the ones God prizes. God is able to make it up to you by giving you everything you need and more so that there will not only be enough for your own needs but plenty left over to give joyfully to others. It is as the Scriptures say: ‘The godly man gives generously to the poor. His good deeds will be an honor to him forever’” (
2 Corinthians 9:6-9
Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure. "For God loves a person who gives cheerfully."* And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say,"They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever."*
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, TLB).
If you look for the value in something and the joy it brings to others, it’s not hard to give things away. But first, you must plant and tend to your crop. This is probably where people give up. The joy is in the giving — but the work happens first. It’s often a sacrifice of time and money. And sometimes you don’t see the reward. My dad has left bags of tomatoes on porches and never got to see the smile on the face of the one who found them.
But God sees.
There is joy in giving. I pray you have found that joy.
I’m certain God has been my help and refuge in things I couldn’t see far more than those things I could.
The Message Translation of Psalm 94 says,
“Who stood up for me against the wicked? Who took my side against evil workers? If God hadn’t been there for me, I never would have made it. The minute I said, ‘I’m slipping, I’m falling,’ your love, God, took hold and held me fast. When I was upset and beside myself, you calmed me down and cheered me up” (
Psalms 94:16-19
Who will protect me from the wicked? Who will stand up for me against evildoers? Unless the LORD had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave. I cried out, "I am slipping!" but your unfailing love, O LORD, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
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MSG).
I’m reminded often of an Amy Grant song from 1984 called “Angels.” The song talks about how God has angels watching over us all the time— removing obstacles and rescuing us from unknown accidents. I’ve always loved that song (and never forgotten it) because I believe it. I’m sure you could list, like I did, the many things you’ve been through in this life. But I imagine there are countless other things I have no idea about.
The unseen enemy of evil has set itself against all of us. So we should never take for granted the times God has delivered us from the hidden traps of the enemy — known or unknown. But notice the Psalmist said it was God’s love that took hold and held us fast. I say, yes!
The love of God has been the guardian of our soul all along. From start to finish, from birth to death, it is the never-ending love of God that saw us, found us, saved us, and delivered us. He could’ve so easily turned a blind eye — but He didn’t. He chose to send His love to earth to be a part of us. And then He purposefully and willingly gave His life for us.
Whereas we try desperately to avoid traps and save our own skin, Jesus stepped into the trap for us. The love of God saved us all. And naturally still does — every day. I’m still here for a purpose and it could only be the love of God that has saved me and held me.
“If God hadn’t been there for me, I never would have made it.”
“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” (NKJV)
Certainly, this is a reference to eternal life. But I believe it also speaks of revelation, meaning an awareness of truth — an ah-ha moment (like the day God opened my eyes in front of my mirror to see more than I was seeing naturally).
Paul said,
"For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of the darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (
2 Corinthians 4:6
For God, who said, "Let there be light in the darkness," has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
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NKJV).
The Message Translation says,
“…our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.”
I can raise my hand and testify this is what happened to me. When I was looking at things naturally, I only saw shortcomings and failures. But when my vision lit up with the knowledge (and revelation) of righteousness and who we are in Christ, I saw everything differently. For the first time, I was able to envision a bright and beautiful life— even if I wasn’t there yet. I could see God’s goodness to me through Jesus. I understood, like David, what a satisfaction it is to become aware of our righteousness in Christ— to know and understand that we are fully loved and accepted by God. When the light of God’s Word shone in my dark, ignorant heart, I was fully awakened to so much more than I had ever known (or believed) previously.
In the beginning, when God said, “Let there be light…” there was a light that divided the darkness (
Genesis 1:3-4
Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.
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). And this is what God is still doing today. Through His Word, and by His Spirit, God is shining a great light upon darkened hearts and awakening people everywhere to His goodness, love, righteousness, joy, peace, and so much more.
“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.”
Today, we can use this imagery as a pattern of how to navigate our own lives. All of us are living constantly in a world influenced by the original snake— the devil. John said,
“We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (
1 John 5:19
We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.
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NKJV).
In other words, the enemy is always nearby and we would be foolish to put our weapons down while building for the kingdom of God.
It’s not either/or.
It’s imperative that we understand the importance of putting our hand to the plow so to speak, while also being ready with the weapons of our warfare.
And the best weapon any of us can carry is the Word of God.
When the enemy lunges at us unexpectedly, we need to be ready to use our authority and keep him at bay. Too often, Christians either spend all their time warding off the enemy and forget to take ground for God, or they get so focused on the task at hand that they forget there’s an enemy who has only one agenda— to kill, steal, and destroy.
At all times we must stay aware.
“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (
Ephesians 5:15-16
So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.
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NKJV).
The New Living Translation says,
“Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.”
The best way to make the most of our opportunities is to keep our eyes on God while keeping a sword by our side— the sword of the Spirit. This simply means we stay ready and armed at all times. Nehemiah told his nobles to be ready but he also encouraged the people that God would fight for them. The same is true for us. Although we need to stay armed and ready, God doesn’t expect us to fight (or build) alone.
The Holy Spirit is within us. And I promise He has a fire that is greater than any blow torch. When we wield our sword (God’s Word) under the influence of the Spirit, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish. And no enemy can stop the work of God.
So stay armed. Stay ready. Keep your hand to the plow. God is watching over you.
TPT). Its name sounds welcoming, especially to the “Hundreds of sick people [who] were lying under the covered porches—the paralyzed, the blind, and the crippled—all of them waiting for their healing” (
I’ve been to this location in Israel. It still stands today. And all these years later, you can still picture the beauty and serenity of it. With its many alcoves and shaded areas surrounding a deep chasm in the rock, it’s easy to imagine people lying all around it. But much like our modern-day homeless, it was likely a natural mess with people’s belongings, bed mats, and sheer disillusionment, as many had been there a very long time in their condition.
This is the case of the man Jesus encountered.
But I want to point out one aspect of his story that could easily get lost, yet I believe plays a dramatic role in his healing that day.
“Among the many sick people lying there was a man who had been disabled for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, he knew that the man had been crippled for a long time. Jesus said to him, ‘Do you truly long to be well?’ The sick man answered, ‘Sir, there’s no way I can get healed, for I have no one to lower me into the water when the angel comes. As soon as I try to crawl to the edge of the pool, someone else jumps in ahead of me’” (
John 5:5-7
When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, "Would you like to get well?" "I can't, sir," the sick man said, "for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me." Jesus told him, "Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!"
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TPT).
I’ve heard ministers read this story in a tone insinuating the man was whining. But I want to ask, why this man? Why not any of the other hundred people lying at the pool that day? I believe it started with eye contact. In every other account of Jesus healing someone, there was contact.
As Jesus approached the House of Loving Kindness, I have no doubt His heart was moved with compassion. But all of them were intently watching the water— hoping, praying, the waters would be stirred again. Only one man caught Jesus’ eye because his eyes were elsewhere. Catching his glance, Jesus said, “Do you want to be made well?”
The man could easily have answered sarcastically: “Well duh, that’s why I’ve been sitting here all these years!” But instead, he answered naturally. He didn’t know who Jesus was or what Jesus offered, so he answered in the only faith he had— but it was enough.
And this is where you and I enter the story.
I didn’t know what Jesus had to offer when I came to Him for salvation. I was just so tired of my life. I was desperate for healing—heart healing. And the world made many promises that seemed to work for some, but left me empty. And like the man near the pool, I started to look elsewhere. In fact, like him, I looked up and heard Jesus whisper to my heart, “Do you want to be made well?”
“I’ve tried everything. It’s no use.”
“Jesus said, ‘Get up, take your bedroll, start walking.’ The man was healed on the spot. He picked up his bedroll and walked off” (
John 5:8
Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath,
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MSG).
One word from the Savior changed everything.
But it started with focus.
What are you looking at? If you want change in your life, you’re going to have to make eye contact with Jesus—with His Word. If desperation was all that was needed for healing, everyone at the pool that day would’ve been healed. But Jesus saw a glimmer of faith—from one who was looking up.
