Today’s Devotion
Topic: LORD, IF IT IS YOU (Self Assessment)
Background: Most of us have read much about the Lord in the Bible and do desire equal manifestations of His divine nature in our lives. We want to walk where He walked and experience the supernatural as far as possible with Him.
The question however is this; are we willing to go through the discipline He put Himself through for the manifestation of the supernatural? Even where our high priest He has done all that it takes to have us walk in the fullness of His power, are we able to keep our gaze on Him as the author and finisher of our faith? Are we able to hold on to His Word by faith to the very end?
Meditate on these as we use an incident with Jesus and His disciples as a case study to understand how we can access and sustain the full manifestation of God’s limitless power in our lives. Without delay, let us zoom straight into our discussion.
Text: 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.” Amen
Questions:
i) According to verse 22, Jesus made sure His disciples got into a boat and went ahead of Him while He personally dismissed the crowd. What lessons do you think our pastors and church leaders can learn from this, and what will be the relevance of such lessons to both the people and their leaders?
ii) What did Jesus do after He dismissed the crowd (verse 23)? What lesson is there from Jesus’ action; for all believers, especially leaders, who claim to emulate Him?
iii) Why, in your opinion, was the boat buffeted by the waves though it was Jesus Himself who sent them on their way? What lesson can we learn from this?
iv) How is it that Jesus was able to walk on the water? Why were the disciples terrified to think it was a ghost? What does this teach us about the things we allow to bother us so much; either because their very existence terrify us or because they look like something that terrifies us? (Read verses 25- 26)
v) To allay their fears, Jesus said to them: “Take courage, it is I, Don’t be afraid.” How is it possible that Jesus would walk through the storm and over the water to console His disciples? Does He come through for us in same vain? So then why do we struggle to see Him minister comfort through our storm?
vi) In verse 28, Peter wanted to experience the supernatural miracle he had witnessed Jesus do; just as we also read from God’s Word and desire. What did Jesus say to his request, and what happened afterwards?
vii) Why was Peter drowning, and what did He do about it? What’s the lesson to learn when we take a step of faith in obedience to God’s work and begin to drown because we doubted?
viii) What have you learnt from today’s discussion?
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