19A23.      1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a.    The Almighty God is not God because of his might or limitless power but simply because he is God with no need to prove anything to anyone.   We only need to recognize God in his glorious goodness.  We ought to allow God to be the God he wants to be and really is; and not try to impose on him any of our notions or ideas of what we feel or demand that he be.  Our God is a God whose love for us calls upon him to be eternally active and present in our lives.  How wonderful it is to have him as our God!

Matthew 14:22-33.  Jesus “went up on the mountain by himself to pray.”  Instead of seeking to rest after a hard day’s work, he sought to nourish himself by drawing close to God his Father.  After he was finished his praying, he apparently sought to join up with his disciples despite the fact that it was night and they were out at sea with waves being churned by the winds.  His disciples were terrified at the sight of “him walking on the sea.” “At once Jesus spoke to them, ‘Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.’”  Peter responded by not only not being afraid but audaciously calling upon Jesus to “command me to come to you on the water.”  The mighty sound of “how strong the wind was” overwhelmed his self-confidence and he became frightened and began to sink.  He had put his faith in himself and not in the Lord.  Recognizing the power of God at work in Jesus, his disciples said, “Truly, you are the Son of God.”  This same thing is said of Jesus by the Roman soldiers at Jesus’ death on the cross when there came up a great darkness and an earthquake.  (Matthew 27:54)

Romans 9:1-5.  Paul exclaims, “I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart” because the Israelites had not accepted Jesus as their Messiah, their Christ.  How infinite is the love of our God who offered up his Son to throw open the gates of heaven so that that we could live in his love!  Yet so many walk away from that love!