2026 Reading Plan Reflections - Day 21

January 21st, 2026
by Walt Martin

From Knowing Jesus to Trusting Him

“Then Peter got out of the boat and was walking on the water toward Jesus. But when Peter saw the strong wind, he became frightened. As he began to sink, he shouted, 'Lord, rescue me!'

Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him, saying, 'You man of weak faith! Why did you begin to have doubts?' When they got into the boat, the wind settled down.

Then those in the boat worshipped Jesus and said, 'You must be God’s Son!'

When they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. When the people who lived in that place recognized him, they sent word throughout that whole region, and they brought to him everyone who was sick. Then they begged him that they might just touch the edge of his clothes. Everyone who touched him was cured.” Matthew 14:29b-36 CEB

As an introvert, I can’t help but notice—and deeply appreciate—Jesus’ rhythm of retreat. After the crowd interrupted his quiet communion with the Father on the boat, Jesus didn’t push through on fumes. He withdrew to the mountain to pray. He rested. There’s a Sabbath lesson there we’re often too busy to hear: even holy work requires holy rest.

Refreshed and ready, Jesus then does something remarkable—he walks across the lake to meet his disciples. And that’s where the tension shows up, the kind most of us know all too well.

Peter knows Jesus. He’s walked with him, listened to him, watched him heal and teach. And yet, when the wind picks up and the waves start shouting louder than the promise, Peter sinks. His faith falters—not because he doesn’t know Jesus, but because fear gets the focus.

That puts Peter closer than we might like to admit to another desperate voice in the Gospels: “I believe; help my unbelief.” Faith and doubt often coexist in the same heart. The distractions, pressures, and anxieties of ordinary life have a way of pulling our eyes off the One who does extraordinary things.

Now contrast that with the people of Gennesaret.

They didn’t walk with Jesus. They weren’t insiders. They didn’t have years of stories or shared meals to lean on. All they had was what they’d heard—and yet they ran to him. They brought the sick. They reached for the hem of his garment. And they trusted that even a touch would be enough.

That’s child-like faith. Not naïve, but unencumbered. Not over-analyzed, but responsive.

So here’s the hard, honest question:

Why is it sometimes easier to trust Jesus when we first meet him than after we’ve known him for years?

Faith in Action

Faith isn’t proven by how much theology we know or how long we’ve been around Jesus. It’s revealed in where we fix our attention when the wind picks up.

Name the wind. Identify the distraction, fear, or pressure that’s pulling your focus off Christ.
Return to the practices that steady you. Prayer, Scripture, rest, silence—these aren’t extras. They’re lifelines.
Act on what you already know. Don’t wait for stronger faith. Step out with the faith you have.
Reach for Jesus again. Even if all you can manage is a trembling hand and an honest prayer.

Child-like faith isn’t about never doubting. It’s about repeatedly choosing trust.
And when we do, we find—again and again—that Jesus is already closer than we think, standing firm where we’re learning to stand at all.