DEVOTIONAL

Prayer: Father God, thank you for your amazing love for me and the way you have helped me throughout my life, I praise you and worship you and as I come into your wonderful presence will you please have mercy on me and forgive from all my sins and cleanse me so that I may heart may be as white as snow. And I ask you today as I come into your presence speak to me, encourage me and draw me closer to see you in all your majesty and the splendour of your holiness. Lord in your mercy hear my prayer in Jesus name, Amen.

Scripture Reading for Prayer and Praise: 1 Chronicles 29:11

"Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendour, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.” Yours, LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.” 

Worship Song Sung or Said: We Believe In God The Father (Graham Kendrick) 

https://youtu.be/C_Z-tKOfGfM?list=RDMiPoWNWB4FM

We believe in God the Father
Maker of the universe
And in Christ, His Son, our Saviour
Come to us by virgin birth
We believe he died to save us
Bore our sins, was crucified
Then from death he rose victorious
Ascended to the Father's side
We believe He sends His Spirit
On His church with gifts of power
God, His word of truth affirming
Sends us to the nations now
He will come again in glory
Judge the living and the dead
Every knee shall bow before Him
Then must every tongue confess

We believe in God the Father
Maker of the universe
And in Christ, His Son, our Saviour
Come to us by virgin birth
We believe He sends His Spirit
On His church with gifts of power
God, His word of truth affirming
Sends us to the nations now
He will come again in glory
Judge the living and the dead
Every knee shall bow before Him
Then must every tongue confess

Name above all names
(Jesus, Lord of all, Lord of all) You are the Lord of all
(Jesus, Lord of all, Lord of all) Jesus Lord of all
(Jesus, Lord of all, Lord of all) King of all Kings
(Jesus, Lord of all, Lord of all) Jesus Lord of all
(Jesus, Lord of all, Lord of all)

Name above all names
Name above all names
Name above all names
Name above all names

God’s Word for Today: Matthew 14:22-33

"22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.” 
23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.” Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.” 25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.” 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified.” It’s a ghost, they said, and cried out in fear.” 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: Take courage! It is I.” Don’t be afraid.” 28 Lord, if it’s you, Peter replied, tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 Come, he said.” Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, Lord, save me! 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.” You of little faith, he said, why did you doubt? 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.” 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, Truly you are the Son of God.” 

Devotional/Study: 

After Jesus finished with the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus dismissed the crowd and made the disciples get into the boat and leave (14:22); then he went alone up on a mountainside to pray. Jesus wanted time to be with his Father. Even in the busyness of His ministry Jesus went to pray. One of the problems that many of us have become too busy for the Lord, we have become to busy to pray and be with our God.

Jesus made room in his busy schedule to be alone with the Father. Spending time with God in prayer nurtures a vital relationship and equips us to meet life's challenges and struggles. Spending time with God as our Father is a lifelong journey for every believer. It’s in the quiet time we will encounter the Father’s love, allowing us to a deeper understanding of His kindness and goodness to a whole new level. 

The more we encounter God’s love for us, the more we can live from a place of deep security and rest. It had been a long and difficult day for the disciples. They had crossed the sea earlier, and then walked up the mountain where Jesus miraculously multiplied the food. The disciples had distributed this food to an estimated multitude of more than twenty thousand. Now, Darkness had fallen and they were rowing back across the sea.

The disciples often fished during the night, so sailing out into the night was not unusual. However, during this time, they began to face a raging storm. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 

If you remember the last time this had happened, Jesus had been in the boat with them. This time they were on their own facing another raging storm. The disciples were always around Jesus, His teaching, and His kingdom work.

This was not just physical storm there was also a storm of that was going on in their hearts and minds. They were most likely scared and fear of their lives. How would you feel if you were in their situation? It is late at night and you are tired. You are perplexed by the events of the day. 

Things had been going so well earlier, but now you have been sent away and you find yourself rowing very hard but not going much of anywhere. The waves are crashing against your boat making it creak and groan with the strain – almost as loudly as you do as you strain in pulling on the oars trying to reach shore and safety. 

You are wet and cold and it seemed a long time ago that you ate of the bread and the fish. You are also alone for your leader has sent you ahead without Him. Now add another element of fear. When they had rowed about three or four miles, Suddenly, Jesus came walking toward them on the sea. 

They already had enough to be afraid of just with being in the middle of the Sea of Galilee in the middle of a storm, yet now we find them very frightened by something that they simply cannot comprehend. The word here for being fearful is a strong word with a literal meaning of being shaken, the men saw something that was beyond their ability to understand. 

It was Jesus coming to them in a manner that they would not have expected in their wildest dreams. "When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. It’s a ghost, they said, and cried out in fear.” Matthew 14:26

The disciples had just cried out in fear, then verse 27, But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” This is the way Jesus so often responded to those that were afraid. He sought to give them courage and called them to stop being afraid for He was with them. The phrase "It's me" is the same phrase God used to describe himself to Moses. When Moses asked who had sent him to Egypt, God said, "I Am has sent me to you". (Exodus 3:14) 

It is also the phrase Jesus used to describe himself to the Pharisees. Jesus told them, 'I can guarantee this truth: Before Abraham was ever born, I am (John 8:58). Because Jesus is the eternal I Am, there was no need for the disciples to be afraid. Jesus, the I AM, came with unexpected help and encouragement during the disciples' time of desperate need. Their need was real; their fear was real. 

Peter response to what he saw was "Lord, if it’s you, Peter replied, tell me to come to you on the water.” Matthew 14:28. Peter still is not sure however he was the only one in the boat who reacted. Peter overcame his fear and attempted the impossible. However, the impossible was possible because he began to walk on the water heading towards Jesus. 

However, when Peter saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, Lord, save me! Matthew 14:30. Peter started to sink because he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the high waves around him. Peter had taken his eyes off Christ and was focusing instead on his situation. His faith was strong enough to trust that he could walk on the water. But when he realized that he was in a terrifying storm, his faith did not stand up to the storm. As Peter started to panic "Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.” You of little faith, he said, why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:31

Peter then got into the boat with the rest of the disciples. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God.” Matthew 14:32-33 What we can learn from this passage is many things but the two that stand out are is that Jesus was God in the flesh.  Jesus showed them His divinity and showed them He was God in all the fullness of His glory. He revealed to His disciples who he was. 

He was God in flesh. For only God who created the sea could walk on the sea. This was a truth they still didn’t understand. We may not go through the physical storm as the disciples did. But we all have been through many other storms in our own lives like sickness, losing jobs, failures, personal weakness, death of loved one, depression, hopelessness and when we feel helpless.

We may think that Jesus is a teacher, leader, speaker or great man… But it is only when we realize his true identity, we can entrust him our whole life knowing that he will always will be with us in whatever storm we experience. The Jesus who can bring peace into the lives of his disciples can also bring peace and calm into our lives. 

Personal Prayers: