“There’s no way that’s going to work”! A dozen men including my sixteen-year-old son had our doubts.

We were isolated on a small rocky island miles from the mainland in the middle of Canada. All we had to eat was the fish we caught earlier that morning.

The sun was hot, water lapped up against our small boats, and we could smell the fish sizzling on a makeshift grill behind us.

When Larry threw that thing into the water everyone got involved. If we were betting men, Larry would have run the house.

He had faith about what goes on under the surface.

We thought it was a little foolish.

He called it a lure; we all called it a “contraption”. It clanked, clamored and looked like the tin man from the Wizard of Oz walking on water across the narrow inlet.

There was a whole lot of debate on that stony shore and no small share of doubt.

It was the second or third cast that made us all believers. I think it even shocked a couple of us. A pike came up out of the water with violence and the fight was on.

Larry won.

It got me thinking about this guy in John 20:24-25 – you know him. You might even be more like him than you care to admit. I know I am.

You won’t believe it unless you see it.

Then listen to that clamoring doubt that you will see it.

You listen to what others say about you instead of what God’s word says.

You believe the lies that God loves, accepts, forgives, redeems or blesses others… but not you.

You convince yourself that He answers to other people’s prayers but not your own. He hears their cries and sees their suffering or longing… just not yours.

Or perhaps you know the promises of God but because they’ve yet to arrive you’re finding yourself short on hope.

It’s easy to doubt in a world that’s so visual – so unfulfilling – so phony. Lots of shiny things on the surface to keep us occupied.

But Jesus offers a reminder that under the surface there’s more going on than you can see in the moment (John 20:26-29).

True words.

Unless you decide to doubt.

No matter how many are betting against you or find your faith a little foolish it helps in that moment to recall Paul’s words in 2 Cor. 5:7.

If we can do so with the promise of heaven, why not with the other stuff here on earth?

And speaking of walking on water like that tin-man lure, Jesus adds this revealing question at the end of a familiar passage about what He can do even when you doubt.

Here’s my question for you: Where might you need to ask God to increase your faith instead of showing you what’s happening under the surface?

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