Scripture Scribbles: August 9, 2026
the Gospel
Matthew 14:22-33
After he had fed the people, Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”
the scribble
What is your unforgettable trust story?
Short story time. Without a word, without second thoughts or any hint of hesitation, I suddenly jumped from the high roof of the old chicken coop one night into the arms of my big brother cousin Karll, much to his surprise and amazement. Still, he caught me in mid-air and put me down to safety while sighing in relief.
Well, in the first place, Karll was the one who put me up there (to probably scare me) because we were playing at that time. Also, I was relentless, fierce, and boyish as a child, so I assumed he wanted to see some signs of fear in me. Or he wanted me to tearfully say “put me down”, but I did not. I trusted him like he was my lifeline. Looking back, I could say that what I did was brave. I was 9. Karll was 19.
I bet many nine-year-old kids would have done what I did too because of innate courage. However, more than the bravery, I know now that the reason for jumping is more because of the person who will do the catching or saving. I was too young then, but I knew that my favorite cousin would catch me.
Similarly, if we are with the Lord, who or what could possibly harm us? Unfortunately for Peter, in today’s gospel, for a second there, he doubted his salvation. Jesus, our savior, was right there with him, and He just told Peter to take courage, and yet Peter was still terrified by the sinking boat.
Are we like Peter who gets frightened, as soon as our boats start sinking, literally and figuratively? Yes! As humans, we can relate to Peter because at times, we too, have little faith in the Lord.
Failing the most important exam, getting very, very sick, parting with someone so dear to us, being a victim of scams or other unfortunate incidents, losing our only property in the fire or a calamity, hiding a deep, dark secret, carrying an incredibly heavy burden, holding on for the longest time to a seemingly empty promise, walking on eggshells around something or someone too scary, or hanging on to something as if our life depended on it. These challenges are all very difficult to deal with. So how do we view these situations?
A remarkable character in the Bible comes to mind when the topic is about facing too many trials: Job. He had to endure a number of unimaginable sufferings. UNIMAGINABLE. And yet he never once lost his faith and devotion to God. How admirable! Job accepted without questions, proceeded without doubts, believed without proofs, and loved without reasons. I think this level of trust is way beyond normal but Job had it.
In the end, God endowed Job with so much more than what He took away.
If we too, have this immense belief in God, then we would feel much more peaceful. If we are not there yet or we sometimes fail to believe, there is still hope for us. Whenever we start to feel overwhelmed by trials, we have Job and other Biblical characters to inspire us because these people stayed faithful despite the odds. Moreover, in the Bible, the Lord continues to remind us to keep the faith.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Hebrews 11:1
“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Mark 11:22-24
Loving Father, please teach us to have unwavering faith in You despite many hardships, amid adversities, in times of defeats, and during our brokenness. Help us to be your loyal servants now and forever. Amen.
Today’s devotion was written by Edwina Yu
