VERSE:
He [Jesus] said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid." Then they
were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat
reached the shore where they were heading.
-- John 6:20-21
THOUGHT:
Jesus comes to his disciples to comfort them in one of their
worst nightmares -- a storm on the sea. He literally tells them, "I
Am; do not be afraid." Two key things are here for us to notice:
First, Jesus uses a name ("I Am") that identifies himself with God
who delivered Moses and the Israelites from Egypt. Second, he uses
a surprisingly frequent command found throughout the Bible: "Don't
be afraid." When we are willing to invite Jesus into our lives
during the middle of our storms and messes, he not only says, "I
Am; don't be afraid!" but he also helps us find our way to our most
important destination, ultimate deliverance.
PRAYER:
O God, the great I Am, you redeemed Israel from Egypt, you won
great victories for David, and you raised Jesus from the dead. I
know you can deliver me from what may come my way. Please forgive
me when I don't act with the boldness that is called for by this
kind of faith and strengthen me to confidently trust in your
presence. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray. Amen.
John 3:14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up...
John 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
John 6:53-56 Jesus said to them, I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.
Father, I pray that we would keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, that we would look to him for directions in our life. In Jesus Name. Amen
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