You Don’t Need a Plan. You Need ‘I Am.’
By Rick Warren
“When they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid” (Mark 6:49-50 NIV).
You only learn what Jesus is really like in the storms of life. You see that he’s not a mere man. He’s not just a nice teacher. He’s not simply an ethical leader. He is God, the Creator of the universe.
In Mark 6, Jesus noticed the disciples were in distress in the middle of a lake as the wind and waves pounded their boat and kept them from making any progress. And so Jesus walked out to them on the water. Verses 49 and 50 say, “When they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid’” (NIV).
The disciples had doubted and thought that Jesus was maybe just a nice prophet who could do some miracles. By walking on water, Jesus revealed that he’s far more than a man. He was showing that he’s God.
He also gave them a challenge (“Don’t be afraid”) and a reassurance. He said, “It is I.”
In the Greek this phrase is actually two words: Ego ima. And ego ima simply means “I Am.” Why is that important?
“I Am” is the name of God — not “I was” or “I will be” or “I hope to be.” When Jesus says, “I Am,” he is saying you don’t need to be afraid. You don’t need to sweat it. He is God. And that is enough.
If you’re going through a storm right now, you don’t need a job — you need Jesus. You don’t need a plan; you need a person. You don’t need a system; you need a Savior. You don’t need a new goal; you need God.
When you’re going through a storm, remember that God is not distant, apathetic, or uninvolved. He is “I Am.” And he will get you through the storm.
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Talk It Over
- What or who do you usually look to save you in a storm? What keeps you from looking to God?
- What is it that you need from God to get through your storm? Talk to him about it, and then watch for him to provide at just the right time.
- What have you learned about God through the storms of your life?
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This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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