Day 6 – Monday, August 25, 2025
The Root of Doubt
Scripture Focus: “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt me?’” — Matthew 14:31 (NIV)
Devotional
Sis, this scripture takes us right into the middle of a storm. Picture it: the disciples are out on a boat at night, and the wind is raging. The waves are crashing against them, and they are terrified. In the middle of their fear, Jesus shows up — walking on water. Peter, bold and eager, says, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you on the water.” And Jesus simply replies, “Come.”
Peter steps out of the boat — and for a moment, he does the impossible. He walks on water. But then, Scripture says Peter saw the wind. He saw the storm. He took his eyes off Jesus and fixed them on his circumstances. Fear rushed in, doubt crept in, and he began to sink. That’s when Jesus reached out His hand and asked: “Why did you doubt me?”
Let’s pause here. Jesus didn’t ask Peter why he was afraid of the storm. He didn’t even question Peter for sinking. Jesus went straight to the root: doubt.
Doubt is deeper than fear. Doubt is the inner voice that questions God’s presence, His power, or His promise. Doubt asks: “Can God really do this for me? Will He really show up this time? Am I even worthy of His help?”
For the women of Encouraging Her Resilience, doubt often shows up in the very areas where God is calling you to step out in faith.
- You step into recovery, but doubt whispers: “You’ll fall again.”
- You step into leaving a toxic relationship, but doubt says: “You can’t make it on your own.”
- You start to trust God with your future, but doubt whispers: “What if He lets you down like everyone else?”
Like Peter, many of us start out strong. We step out of the boat, bold and full of faith. But then the storms of life hit. Bills stack up. Kids act out. Trauma resurfaces. Pain from the past revisits your mind. And instead of keeping our eyes on Jesus, we start focusing on the storm. And that’s when doubt creeps in and we begin to sink.
Jesus’ question — “Why did you doubt me?” — was not condemnation, it was revelation. He was showing Peter, and He is showing us, that the storm was never the real threat. Doubt was.
Breaking Down the Root of Doubt
- Doubt Distracts
Peter’s problem wasn’t the storm — it was his shift in focus. Doubt always starts when we stop looking at Jesus and start magnifying the problem. Women at Encouraging Her Resilience, your doubt often rises when you replay trauma, rehearse failure, or believe the enemy’s lies instead of God’s truth.
- Doubt Divides
Doubt creates a double mind. James 1:6–8 says a person who doubts is “unstable in all they do.” One day you’re declaring, “I’m free!” The next day you’re rehearsing shame. One moment you’re praying with faith, the next you’re planning for failure. Doubt makes you live in two worlds, and it paralyzes progress.
- Doubt Drowns
Just as Peter began to sink when he doubted, doubt pulls us under. It drowns hope. It drowns purpose. It drowns confidence. Some of you have dreams God gave you years ago, but doubt has kept them underwater.
Action Step for Today
Identify the storm in your life that has shifted your focus. Is it finances? Relationships? Addiction? Healing from trauma? Write down where doubt keeps whispering, “God won’t come through.” Then beside it, write one scripture that speaks directly against that doubt. Pray it. Declare it. Every time the storm rises in your mind, speak the Word louder than the waves.
Example:
- Doubt: “I’ll never get free from addiction.”
- Truth: “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” — John 8:36
Reflection Questions
- When has doubt caused me to take my eyes off Jesus and sink into fear or hopelessness?
- What storms in my life am I focusing on more than God’s presence and promise?
- How do I react when life’s waves rise — with faith or with doubt?
- What would living with unwavering faith in this season look like for me?
- Am I willing to be honest with God about my doubts like Peter was, so that He can rescue me?
Declaration for Day 6
I will not let doubt distract me, divide me, or drown me. My eyes are fixed on Jesus, not on the storm. I believe He is faithful, He is able, and He will not fail me. Doubt has no place in my heart. I will walk in bold faith, even in the middle of the storm.
Sis, hear me: The storm is not the real enemy. Doubt is. Today, we silence it. Today, we lift our eyes back to Jesus. Today, we walk in faith again — and this time, we refuse to sink.
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