Scripture

Those in the boat worshipped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God”

Observation
Jesus sends the disciples across the lake while He goes up a mountain to pray.
Early in the morning as a storm rises on the lake, Jesus walks across the water towards the boat. The disciples think it’s a ghost, but He reassures them.
Peter calls out, “Lord, if it’s you, command me to come to you.” Jesus commands him, and he gets out of the boat. When Peter sees the waves, he starts to sink, but Jesus pulls him up.
As they get into the boat, the wind drops and the disciples worship Jesus.

Application
What a man of deep faith Peter was. He risked his life to be close to the Lord, to experience the power of God.
Some preachers point out that Peter failed when he took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink. This misses the greater point: Peter walked on water.
When we determine in our heart to believe the promises of God and to obey Him no matter what, there is no limit to what He can do in us and through us.

Prayer
Use me today Lord to show the world your power and your glory. Amen.

Scripture

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Observation
Paul’s great longing is to see the people of Israel, his own people, saved. They are zealous for God, but it is misdirected. They cling to their own ways, thinking that obeying the Law will save them.
God has revealed a different path of salvation- faith in Christ, If we believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead and confess with our mouths that He is Lord, then we will be saved.
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But for this to happen, we need to go and tell people about the Good News.

Application
The christian life is all about grace. We are saved by trusting in God’s grace shown to us in Christ. It it all God’s free gift.
Some people think that after salvation it is all about works, that we stay in God’s good books by doing stuff for Him.
There is nothing we can do to impress God either before or after we are saved. He loves us unconditionally regardless of our actions.
Yes, we will want to obey Him- that’s what it means to confess that Jesus is Lord. Even this is grace because the Holy Spirit cleans out our self-centred, sinful heart to make us want to obey.
The gospel is grace from beginning to end.

Prayer
Thank you Lord for this truly amazing grace that sets me free from sin, now and forever. Amen.

Scripture

When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here Elijah?”

Observation
After the big prophetic showdown on Mount Carmel which led to Israel pledging to follow the Lord, Jezebel threatens to kill Elijah. Full of fear, Elijah flees to the wilderness.
Elijah comes to a solitary tree and prays for God to take his life. An angel comes twice with food and water for him. Strengthened, Elijah travels to Mount Carmel, the mountain of the Lord.
On the mountain, a great wind comes, then an earthquake, then fire and, finally, a sheer silence. In the silence, the Lord speaks to Elijah, telling him to anoint kings over Aram and Israel, and Elisha as prophet.

Application
These days, Elijah would be diagnosed as suffering depression or burn out and sent off for stress leave. This is what the Lord does to Elijah- he sends him on a long pilgrimage back the the holy mountain.
Sometimes we can become weary in doing the Lord’s work. If this is not attended to, long term mental illness can result.
The cure is to take time off and reconnect with the Lord, allowing Him to refresh and renew us.

Prayer
Lord, you know how we are made, and you know the cure for our ailments. Holy Spirit please refresh me and renew my trust in you. Amen.

Scripture

When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion on them and cured their sick.

Observation
Jesus hears about the death of John the Baptist and travels across the lake to a deserted place. The crowds follow Him on foot and assemble at the place Jesus disembarks. Jesus has great compassion on the crowd and heals all the sick people.
Faced with a hungry crowd, the disciples urge Jesus to send the people away. Jesus tells the disciples that they must feed the crowd.
The disciples bring Jesus five loaves and two fish. He gives thanks and hands them back to the disciples to distribute. Miraculously, they feed five thousand men plus women and children, and have much more left over than they started with.

Application
God’s ability to provide what we need is only limited by our ability to yield to Him whatever resources we already have.
One of the big problems in our culture is that we want to fix things ourselves. We think we are so rich and so skilful that we can solve any problem. In doing this, we often leave God out of the solution.
Jesus took what was offered and lifted it up to God, and then the miracle happened.
We must do the same.

Prayer
Father I thank you for the many talents, gifts and resources that I have from you. Help me to offer them back to you for your purposes and for your empowering. Amen.

Scripture

My heart is filled with bitter sorrow and unending grief for my people, my Jewish brothers and sisters. I would be willing to be forever cursed- cut off from Christ- if that would save them.

Observation
Paul is filled with grief and sorrow for his people, his Jewish brothers and sisters who are unsaved. If it would save them, he would be willing to be cursed and cut off forever from Christ for their sake.
The Jews are the people of Israel, chosen by God. God gave them the privilege of worshipping Him. Christ was an Israelite at least as far as His human nature is concerned.

Application
Paul is passionate to see his people, the Jews, saved. This teaches us two things:

1. There is no place for anti-Semitism in the church. God loves the Jews and wants them to be reconciled to Him through the gospel.
2. We too should be passionate about our own people being saved. The people in my city, the people in my nation, the people in my planet all need the gospel.

Prayer
Father, you are passionate about seeing people come into reconciliation with you. Show me who you want me to share the gospel with today. Amen.

Help me Lord

I’m in trouble again!
I do what is right
But in this world
That wins no friends.

They surround me
These unrighteous ones
They move in for the kill
Rescue me O God!

Scripture

Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”) for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.”

Observation

Jacob prepares to meet with his brother Esau, sending his wives, sons and possessions across the river ahead of him.

During the night, a man comes and wrestles with Jacob until dawn. The man touches Jacob’s hip, dislocating it, but Jacob holds on to him.

Jacob demands the man’s blessing. The man responds by changing his name from Jacob (deceiver) to Israel (“God fights”) because Jacob has fought with God and man.

From that day, Jacob walks with a limp. The people of Israel do not eat the tendon near the hip, in memory of this.

Application

Jacob was a trickster and a deceiver. Here, he wrestles with God to secure a blessing from Him. Ironically, Jacob already had all the blessing he needed from God, so his struggle is in vain.

Jacob needed to stop fighting and scheming and learn to trust the Lord and submit to Him.

Many people spend years struggling against God only to find that it wasn’t necessary. We don’t need to fight against a God who has given everything for us.

Prayer

Father God, forgive me for resisting your purposes in my life. I surrender myself to you now and declare the fighting is over. Amen.

Scripture

He said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure whatever is new and whatever is old.”

Observation
Jesus speaks many parables to describe God’s kingdom.
The kingdom is like a mustard seed that grows from a tiny seed to become a large shrub.
It is like yeast of which a tiny quantity quickly spreads through all the flour.
It is like treasure in a field or a pearl for which someone would sell all they own in order to possess it.
It is like a net that drags in all kinds of fish in the expectation of a sorting of good fish from bad.

Application
The kingdom of God is both simple and beyond our imagining. The simple part is that the kingdom is any person or group of people that puts serving Jesus Christ as the first priority in their daily life.
These parables show that the kingdom is much bigger than the local church. It spreads across the world, infiltrating every part of society, growing mysteriously and affecting both the saved and the unsaved. Often the influence of the kingdom is invisible but its effects can be seen.
Wherever there are christians following Jesus, the Holy Spirit is working in the hearts of people, drawing men and women into the kingdom.

Prayer
Father please let me be the yeast in the world, the mustard seed in the field, an agent for your purposes today. Amen.