After feeding the 5,0000, Jesus sends the apostles away and deals with the crowd himself. He didn't want the apostles to get swept up in what the crowd wanted from him (a political / military savior). He is our King, not a puppet of the people's agendas!

As Jesus walks on water to rescue the apostles, we see that the only reason we make it through the rough seas is because Christ comes for his people!

Jesus is God...

- He walked on the sea.

- He meant to walk past them, as God the Father did in Exodus 33:18; he shows Moses only the back of himself because no man could see his face and live. Here Jesus reveals that he's the same God.

- He identifies himself using the same language as in the Old Testament, when he says, "I am," the God of Moses. He is being itself! The God of the Exodus, God of the waters.

He says you can take courage, and be not afraid, when the Creator "I am" is with you!

As he entered the boat, and the winds ceased, we see that in the presence of God, there is peace! Yet the apostles still didn't understand, not about the loaves and fishes, not about walking on the water; their hearts were hardened...

This shows us that knowing about Jesus (or spending time in church) doesn't necessarily lead to faith. Our hearts must first be softened by God, then we must respond, choosing to follow him.

Theology matters! We must engage our whole minds, our whole selves with the Word of God. If we miss that, we miss when he shows up in our lives, robbing ourselves of joy, and robbing him of his due glory.

God provides! He's with us until the end of the age... we're waiting for him to save us from this world, but we also know he's with us now. We have the Spirit of God, accessible to us always! We have the power to not sin. In the worst of situations, he is faithful to protect and provide for us. He makes a way when there is no other way. As he was in the Old and New Testaments, he still is now; he changes not!

Our God will not leave us or forsake us, because he loves us, and love never ends. He is the great I Am, he sees us, and he comes to his bride in our need!