SCRIPTURE:
The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages. Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.” Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand. Mark 6:30-44
OBSERVATION:
I’ve read these passages many times having received the lesson or insight God meant for me to receive. I love how often times the same scriptures shed a different light. This time we read about the Apostles understandable conclusion that there would not be enough bread or fish to go around to feed the five thousand. Yet, Jesus superseded and defied logic in feeding the five thousand with what should have only fed a few. The apostles shared so much logic and fact as to why it was impossible to feed everyone. However, logic and fact can always be superseded by Jesus.
APPLICATION:
These scriptures encouraged me in these challenging financial times for our community and New Hope. Data, information and facts tell us that we are in precarious financial times with inflation and the economy. Crunching the numbers with logic sometimes tell us that finances are upside down. Yet, we have seen the faithfulness and provision of the Lord through the year. When studies show that 40-50% of church attendees have not returned to church in-person; we’ve seen a steady increase in attendance. We also see new converts receiving Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Thus, like Christ fed the five thousand, so to do I need to trust in Christ and His plan, evident of what He is doing, and not what the statistics, theories, and crunching of numbers and logic says. We do need to do what we can in the things we can control, however, believing in God’s provision and his faithful is what will prevail as we trust in Him.
PRAYER:
Thank you Lord for your greatness of who you are, what you’ve done, and what you can and will do, as we lay down and surrender all to you. Lord, may my prayers supersede the logic of what statistics and numbers tell us. Instead, may we always seek your will, your way, your power in the name of Jesus as we pray to you and lay everything before you.
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