Daily Reading Week 23
Sunday
John 6 (focus v.16–21)
Discover:
Jesus had just fed the five thousand on the east side of the Sea of Galilee. Soon afterward, He delivered His Bread of Life Discourse in Capernaum on the west side (John 6:1–14, 24). Today's passage tells how He and His disciples traveled between those two locations.
The disciples set out across the sea without Jesus. He had withdrawn to the mountain, so they headed for Capernaum by boat on their own (vv. 15–17). The Sea of Galilee sits about 600 feet below sea level, and strong winds often create sudden, violent storms. That's exactly what happened here. A fierce storm made the waters rough, and even experienced boatmen could find themselves in real danger (v. 18).
Yet the storm wasn't what frightened the disciples most. They saw Jesus walking on the water toward them, untouched by the waves, and they were terrified (v. 19). For the Jewish people, the sea was a powerful and unpredictable enemy that only God could control. When Jesus approached the boat, the storm instantly calmed (vv. 19–21). This was far more than an ordinary man.
Jesus reassured them with familiar words: "It is I." In Greek, this is ego eimi—the same phrase God used as His covenant name. It's a clear hint of Jesus' divine identity, something we'll see often in John's Gospel. Only God can walk on water, calm storms, and rightfully claim the name "I Am.”
Respond:
• How do you typically respond when obedience leads to difficulty?
• Where in your life does it feel like Jesus is absent right now?
• What would it look like to trust that He is present even in the storm?
Monday
Proverbs 16 (focus v.9)
Discover:
For centuries, theologians have wrestled with what it means for men and women to be made in God’s image (Gen. 1:26–27). While there’s no single definition everyone agrees on, most recognize that part of the divine image includes having a mind and a will. Like God, we form intentions, make plans, and make choices. Deep down, we all sense that we are responsible for our actions (Rom. 1:18–2:29).
At the same time, Scripture reminds us that our will is never the final authority. God’s will always takes precedence. As today’s passage shows, He “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Eph. 1:11) and establishes our steps.
Matthew Henry noted that every person is both “a reasonable creature” who can make plans and “a depending creature” who lives under the direction of his Maker. We must hold these two truths together: we make real choices, yet those choices fall under God’s sovereign control. This is often called a compatibilist view of freedom. Simply put, we always choose what we most want in any given situation.
Sometimes the options aren’t great. For example, no one wants surgery, but if the choice is between having an inflamed appendix removed or dying from appendicitis, we choose surgery because we want to live more than we want to avoid the pain. In that moment, it’s what we most desire.
In God’s sovereignty, sometimes our choices lead to the results we intend. Other times, our plans are thwarted. But in every case, God’s purposes never fail. He directs our steps according to His design.
Respond:
• Where are you trying to control the outcome instead of trusting God’s direction?
• What situation in your life feels like a detour right now?
• How can you choose trust over control today?