In Mark, chapter 6, there is recorded Jesus feeding 5,000 men plus women and children with only 5 loaves of bread and two fish. An awesome miracle. But when the big day is over, Jesus insists that his disciples get in their boat and head back across the Sea of Galilee. It turns night and the disciples are fighting winds and waves and are stuck in the middle of the lake. At about 3:00 in the morning Jesus saw that they were struggling and walked on the water to them and intended to go past them. They are frightened but he spoke to them and got into the boat and the lake was immediately calm. Great story, but I've always wondered why Jesus was intending to walk past them? They were in trouble and Jesus was going to pass them by. But someone pointed out three things about this account. First, he was walking on the sea...in Job it says that God alone walks on the waves of the sea. But he was going to pass them by. To "pass by" was the language used when God revealed his glory to Moses in Exodus. And the guys, well, they were all terrified, but Jesus says "Take courage, it is I. The Greek says it as "Take courage, I Am. That is the name that God gives himself in Exodus when Moses asks who he is called. And so when we look at this he has done a great miracle in feeding the crowds, but here he walks only where God walks. And he passes by as only God passes by. And he speaks the name that
only God bears. In the midst of the storm, Jesus reveals to them his glory, his true identity. How about you? Are you in a storm? And if you are struggling against things that you can't conquer yourself and you feel like you are going under the waves of life...take a deep breath and look closer. It is in the storm that he will show you his glory. He will tell you that he is the great I Am. That means that there is no storm too great for the God who created evrything and has ultimate control of all that is surrounding you. Whatever it is that you are fighting right now this Jesus is telling you "Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid." In what you are dealing with now, he is about to reveal to you his glory and power and most of all his incredible love for you. Here's our Bible verse for today.....
Mark 6:49-51 but when they saw Him walking on the sea, they cried out, thinking He was a ghost (50) for they all saw Him and were terrified. But Jesus spoke up at once: "Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid." (51) Then He climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down.
Remember I'm praying for you,
PJ
only God bears. In the midst of the storm, Jesus reveals to them his glory, his true identity. How about you? Are you in a storm? And if you are struggling against things that you can't conquer yourself and you feel like you are going under the waves of life...take a deep breath and look closer. It is in the storm that he will show you his glory. He will tell you that he is the great I Am. That means that there is no storm too great for the God who created evrything and has ultimate control of all that is surrounding you. Whatever it is that you are fighting right now this Jesus is telling you "Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid." In what you are dealing with now, he is about to reveal to you his glory and power and most of all his incredible love for you. Here's our Bible verse for today.....
Mark 6:49-51 but when they saw Him walking on the sea, they cried out, thinking He was a ghost (50) for they all saw Him and were terrified. But Jesus spoke up at once: "Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid." (51) Then He climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down.
Remember I'm praying for you,
PJ