MARK CHAPTER 6.32 - 44
MATTHEW 14.13 - 21
LUKE 9. 10 - 17
JESUS HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE LOOKING FOR HIM, BECAUSE THE
PROPHET JOHN THE BAPTIST HAD JUST BEEN BEHEADED BY KING HEROD. THE PEOPLE KNEW THAT JOHN HAD TOLD THEM JESUS WAS THE ONE HE POINTED THEM TO. SO NOW THEY WERE COMING, MANY FOLK, OLD AND YOUNG, POOR AND RICH,
FROM EVERYWHERE ALL AROUND. THEY LISTENED TO HIM FOR THREE DAYS.
NO ONE LEFT. THEY LOVED HEARING JESUS SPEAK.
THE DISCIPLES CAME TO JESUS AND ASKED TO HAVE SEND THE PEOPLE AWAY. THEY WERE TIRED AND HUNGRY, AND THIS WAS A WILDERNESS. THERE WERE NO SUPERMARKETS AROUND. THERE WERE NO FAST FOOD PLACES. THEY SAID, SEND THEM AWAY. WE NEED TO REST AND TO EAT.
JESUS LOOKED AT THEM, AND TOLD THEM, "YOU GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT." OH MY !
THEY SAID, "SHALL WE GO AND BUY FOOD FOR THIS PEOPLE ? THERE IS NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY FOR THIS MANY PEOPLE !
JESUS SAID, 'HOW MANY LOAVES DO YOU HAVE?
NOW THINK ABOUT IT. JESUS WAS SAYING, DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH YOU HAVE AT HAND ?
A LITTLE BOY HAD COME WITH ALL THE PEOPLE. THREE DAYS HE HELD ON TO HIS LUNCH. THREE DAYS HE PROBABLY HAD GOT HUNGRY, BUT THEN HE GOT TO THINKING ABOUT JESUS. JESUS HAD NOT EATEN. SO HE BROUGHT THE LUNCH TO JESUS. HE COULD HAVE EATEN IT HIMSELF. HE DID NOT.
WE DO NOT KNOW IF THE DISCIPLES WENT ABOUT ASKING IF ANYONE HAD FOOD? WE DO NOT KNOW. WE DO KNOW THAT THE LITTLE GAVE WHAT HE HAD TO JESUS.
WHEN JESUS HEARD THE DISCIPLES SAY WE HAVE FIVE LOAVES AND TWO FISHES, HE TOLD THEM TO HAVE EVERY ONE SIT DOWN ON THE GRASS, AND SO EVERYBODY WAITED TO SEE WHAT JESUS WAS GOING TO DO. THEY WERE EXPECTING SOMETHING ! TO HAPPEN. THEY DID NOT SEE ANY FOOD. THEY DID NOT KNOW WHY THEY WERE SITTING DOWN. BUT THEY WERE TIRED, THEY KNEW. STANDING TO LISTEN WAS THE EXPECTED WAY TO LISTEN TO A TRAVELING MAN WHO KNEW SO MUCH. THEY DID NOT WANT TO MISS A WORD OF WHAT HE SAID.
SO NOW, SITTING DOWN, JESUS HAD LOOKED AT THEM AS BEING LIKE SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD. THEY MISSED JOHN. NOW HERE THEY WERE, HAVING LOST A TEACHER, A FRIEND, AND A GOOD MAN, AND THEY WERE HURTING. JESUS CARED ABOUT THEM.
WHEN EVERYONE SAT DOWN, AND THEY WERE WATCHING HIM,, JESUS THEN TOOK THE FIVE LOAVES AND THE TWO FISHES, AND LOOKING UP TO HEAVEN, HE BLESSED THE BREAD, AND FISH, AND THEN STARTED TO BREAK THEM INTO PIECES AND PASSED THEM TO THE TWELVE. THE TWELVE PASSED IT OUT TO THE PEOPLE.
THE PEOPLE WERE SITTING IN GROUPS OF HUNDREDS AND IN FIFTIES, SO I IMAGINE FAMILIES WERE TOGETHER, PEOPLE WERE TOGETHER, BUT NOBODY PUT A FUSS ABOUT TAKING TURNS. THEY JUST WATCHED THE BREAD AND THE FISH BEING BROKEN AND PASSED ON TO EACH AND AS EACH RECEIVED THEIR SHARE, THEY IN TURN MUST HAVE PASSED ON TO THOSE BY THEM AS WELL. IT GOT ALL PASSED OUT.
THE STORY GOES THAT FIVE THOUSAND MEN, PLUS WOMEN AND CHILDREN WERE THERE. THERE MUST HAVE BEEN AT LEAST MORE WOMEN THAN MEN THERE, AND MANY MANY CHILDREN. EACH ONE GOT SOMETHING, AND IT SAYS THAT THEY ATE AND WERE SATISFIED THEY WERE FILLED.
ALSO, IT SAYS THAT AFTER THEY GOT DONE, JESUS TOLD THE DISCIPLES PICK UP THE PIECES THAT ARE LEFT OVER. AND GUESS WHAT ! ? THERE WERE ENOUGH PIECES TO FILL 12 BASKETS FULL OF THE FRAGMENTS.
I BELIEVE JESUS WANTS YOU AND ME TO USE WHAT WE HAVE WHEN WE ARE HUNGRY, OR, NEEDY, OR NEED SOMETHING, THEN WE OUGHT - I OUGHT - TO LOOK AROUND - AND START WITH WHAT I HAVE.
WHEN WE USE WHAT WE HAVE - NOT WE DON'T HAVE - THEN GOD WILL SUPPLY AS WE SHARE WHAT WE HAVE WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE.
WHEN WE USE WHAT WE HAVE, GOD WILL SUPPLY ENOUGH FOR OTHER TIMES WHEN WE NEED SOMETHING. WE NEED TO REMEMBER TO SIT DOWN AND WAIT ON GOD FOR HIS PROVISION, AND TRUST HIM TO SHOW US WHAT HE HAS.
THEN WE NEED TO SHARE WHAT WE HAVE WITH OTHERS. AS WE DO, GOD WILL INCREASE. THEN WE NEED TO PICK UP AFTER OURSELVES SO WE DO NOT LEAVE A MESS BEHIND WHEN GOD PROVIDES. ALSO WE COULD USE LEFT OVERS FOR A FUTURE TIME, OR JUST TO REMIND US OF HOW BIG A BLESSING GOD GAVE THAT LITTLE BOY.
IN JOURNEYING WITH GOD, WHEN WE LOSE OUR BEST FRIEND, OUR HUSBAND, OUR SON OR DAUGHTER, OUR MOTHER OR FATHER, OR JUST DO NOT HAVE A HOME, WE CAN START USING WHAT WE HAVE TO GET THROUGH OUR NEXT DAY. SIT AND THINK ABOUT IT. DECIDE WHAT IT IS THAT YOU NEED.
DISCOVER WHAT IT IS THAT YOU DO HAVE. DO NOT BE THINKING OF THE STOMACH BEING EMPTY SO MUCH THAT YOU CANNOT COPE. THINK WHAT DO I HAVE THAT I COULD USE TO HELP ME GET WHAT I NEED. START WITH AN INVENTORY OF WHAT I DO HAVE,
THEN BE SURE TO THANK GOD FOR THE FOOD BEFORE YOU EAT,IT, AND
TO THANK GOD FOR THE NEED YOU HAVE BEFORE HE MEETS IT, AND TRUST HIM TO GIVE IT TO YOU. PHILIPPIANS 4.19 BUT MY GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEED ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY BY CHRIST JESUS
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