Winter Gardening
What kind of spiritual work is going on in the quiet work of your life? A temperate day in the middle of winter beckoned. I ventured outside with only a light sweater – no gardening gloves. The sky was clear above me as I moved along our deck to the flower pots that just a few months ago had held vivid, flowering geraniums, and begonias, and petunias. Now only the skeletons stood, the remnants – brown and brittle. I pulled one dead geranium from a terra cotta pot and then another. I ended up clearing all the pots – not really having intended to, but I liked the results and so moved to the planter boxes surrounding the back deck. Then I went to the shed and picked the hoe and the pruners off the wall and on my way back to the beds, trimmed back the indigo and oregano in the miniature herb garden. By the time I was done with all the pots, beds, and boxes, my hamstrings were tight and my fingernails were dirty, but what a sense of satisfaction. The tilled dirt looked dark and rich and ready for spring planting. Some years this chore doesn’t get done until the moment I’m ready to replant in April. When this happens, there’s no period of time that could be called, “ready and waiting.” What a shame because there is something beautiful in “ready and waiting.” There’s something beautiful about clearing out the clutter – the ugly stuff, the stuff that isn’t serving a purpose – and being left with what is clean and ready and waiting. We may have less, but here’s a great example of when “less is more.” While I was admiring my debris-free planter boxes, the evergreens suddenly became noticeable. These plants, while not “showy” in the petunia sense, maintain their color in spite of seasonal changes around them. “I want to be an evergreen,” I thought, looking at my dwarf fir, “steady and lovely no matter the circumstances swirling around me.” I also noticed how just one evergreen, whether a boxwood or a juniper or a fir, kept an entire planter box from looking barren. This was God’s reminder that it doesn’t take much for life to be pleasing and winsome, even joyful. It just takes something of lasting value to be our focus. And what is of ultimate lasting value? The Ever-Loving, Ever-Gracious, Ever-Faithful Savior planted in a ready and waiting heart – more than evergreen, He is Everlasting. Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom (Isaiah 40:30 TNIV). Winter gardening has its perks. About the author: Lisa is a Christian, a wife and a mother of three. Lisa shares, “I know how my story began and Christ divulged the ending, so now I’m concentrating on developing the middle. May the setting, characterization and plot twists all work to His glory.” You can email Lisa using this link!
Don’t Forget
Can you remember what you most recently forgot? Fumbling my way through the dark, I found the bed, re-adjusted the pillows, and collapsed into a heap, exhausted from my long day. As I lay there during the few minutes before sleep enveloped me, I prayed about several of the situations that had come my way that day. Shortly after my prayer’s, “Amen!” a sudden flurry of thoughts about a great message for Heartlight popped into my head. Rolling the ideas around in my mind, I was suddenly excited about these great insights and the great article they would inspire. I tried to place a few memory cues to help me retrieve the idea in the morning, then fell fast asleep. Now looking back, I’m sure that the article and ideas must have been great ones, but for the life of me, I couldn’t tell you what they were. Despite trying the memory cues, going over what I had been doing as I got into bed, reviewing the things that I had done that day, and even rehearsing the prayer I prayed that night, I have not been able to grab hold of those thoughts. I simply forgot them. I can’t remember what they were. I forget things quite frequently. This is not a new problem, but one I’ve had all my life. I’ve learned all sorts of tricks to set aside memory cues and to use memory trigger points to help me recall things. They work most of the time. Sometimes, however, what I wanted to remember is gone … forgotten … never to return to me again. Having worked with many people over the years, I’ve learned that I have a lot of company with this memory problem. (If you don’t think you have this problem, then I would kindly suggest that you’ve forgotten that you’ve forgotten a bunch of stuff!) We human beings are a forgetful lot. This is especially true with memory of God and the many things he has done to bless us. So we shouldn’t be surprised that one of the most powerfully convicting books in the Old Testament stresses that God’s people must not forget what the Almighty has done for them and remember all they have comes from him. Knowing that we are forgetful people, God built into our lives, faith events that stir our memory and re-awaken us to his ongoing presence and work. During the Old Testament times, he gave his people the yearly pilgrimage feasts. Many of the people would journey to Jerusalem and take part in rituals, celebrations, and activities where they would re-live the great acts of God’s deliverance. Today, God has given us the Lord’s Supper and baptism as regular reminders and opportunities to re-live the center of his saving work – Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection and to remind us that he will return in glory. God wants us to work at remembering … remembering his grace, his love, his great acts of redemption, his promises, and his ultimate salvation offered to all of us. So many other thoughts crowd into our minds that we often can’t remember what is most important. Before long, we end up living based upon the most urgent or most flashy immediate thoughts that catch our attention. We forget the crucial, life-giving, and eternal truths necessary for our Christian faith to truly shape our lives. So the next time you forget something, please remember how easy it is to forget what is most important to you. Make a conscious effort to go back and rehearse, remember, and re-live the great acts of God in your life. Don’t lose your spiritual passion in the sea of forgetfulness or the sloth of not intentionally remembering the greatness and goodness of our Father. Watch out! Be very careful never to forget what you have seen the LORD do for you. Do not let these things escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren. (Deuteronomy 4:9 NLT) About the author: Phil Ware has authored 11 years of daily devotionals, including VerseoftheDay.com, read by 500,000 people a day. He works with churches in transition with Interim Ministry Partners and for the past 21+ years, he has been editor and president of HEARTLIGHT Magazine, author of VerseoftheDay.com, God’s Holy Fire (on the Holy Spirit), and aYearwithJesus.com. Phil has also authored four books, daily devotionals on each of the four gospels.
Lonely Places as Usual
Is my life shaped by intentional time away from the noise to be with the Father? Prayer holds my heart captive today. I can’t get the idea of prayer out of my head. I can’t satisfy my heart with the quality of my prayer life. I am frustrated by my times of ineffective prayers and my lackadaisical approach to prayer in my life. What makes this all the more bewildering is that I love to pray. Prayer is something most are willing to discuss and would like to trust. However, most of us admit that we don’t pray as much as we should and that we would like to know how to pray more effectively. Most of all, we don’t understand why praying can become such hard and tedious work. Prayer seemed so natural for Jesus. Why is it so hard for us? To make my feelings on prayer even more complicated, much of my work with congregations in transition focuses on prayer. We pray for the Holy Spirit to lead our process. We pray for the Lord to strengthen and sharpen our focus as we wait for their new ministry partner. We pray for their new minister and the congregation from which he comes. We pray for the new minister’s family and their transition to a new place. We pray for us to be patient and to wait on the Lord, not rushing things to make them fit our timetable. We pray for God’s mission and vision for the congregation to become the lifeblood of what they do in the community and around the world. We pray for the impact on the lost people the congregation is trying to reach. We pray for the search team as they seek to be led by the Spirit. We pray for the elders to be true shepherds during this time that often feels so unsettling to their church family. Prayer is the fabric that holds the interim season together as we yearn for our hearts to be in tune with the Lord’s work. Prayer is also very important to me and to my ministry online.[NOTE] Unfortunately, however, I know my life is not framed and filled with prayer as much as Jesus’ life was. I want it to be, yet this “less than Jesus” feeling points to a shortcoming in my spiritual life that can only be filled with meaningful prayer time with the Father. Most importantly, however, I am interested in prayer because I want it to be more pervasively woven into my life. I want prayer to be the “spirit-natural” air I breathe. I want prayer to be present in every aspect of my life. I want prayer to be my vital link to God, yet I fear I don’t cherish the “lonely places” and my time with the Father with the same passion my Savior did. When Luke puts together his “orderly account” (Luke 1:1-4) of Jesus’ life, he makes clear that prayer framed the life of our Savior. Jesus’ teaching on prayer and his time in prayer reoccur throughout his story of Jesus. Luke wants us to know that prayer was the fabric that held Jesus’ life and ministry together. Nearly every key event is touched by prayer. Nearly every key movement of Jesus’ teaching mentions prayer in some way. Jesus’ life was so characterized by prayer that when Judas needed to find the Lord to betray him, Judas knew where to go: to Jesus’ garden of prayer! Each of Jesus’ moments in prayer and his teaching about prayer deserves special mention. Two, however, hold my heart today. These two instances matter so much to me because they frame his story. They reveal where to find Jesus when he is away from the crowds. Jesus had no earthly address, but no matter where Jesus was in his journey from the manger to the cross, you knew where to find him. He could be found in “lonely places” spending time with the Father, “as usual,” in prayer. Notice the emphasis in the two passages below, one which occurs near the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and the other at the end. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed (Luke 5:15-16) Jesus went out, as usual, to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed… (Luke 22:39-40). If you are like me, you avoid “lonely places”. They are not our usual habitat. I fill lonely places with music, reading, television, computer work, hunting, fishing, hiking, conversation, and people. None of those “lonely places” fillers are bad in themselves. They can be, however, distractions from our deepest need: to walk with God “in the cool of the day” (Genesis 3:4 ESV). So today, I’m asking you to join me in a prayer. This is not a long prayer or an elaborate prayer or an eloquent prayer. It is a simple prayer asking for our hearts to yearn for the Father – to intentionally seek him in “lonely places” so that the “as usual” part of our lives are characterized by prayer! O Father, thank you for choosing to meet with me and hear me even though you are glorious, mighty, and transcendent. I ask that the Holy Spirit make my heart yearn for “lonely places” and to fill those lonely places with you. Help me find delight in my time with you in prayer. Strengthen me to make my “as usual” to be times of prayer. In Jesus’ name, I ask for this grace. Amen. About the author: Phil Ware has authored 11 years of daily devotionals, including VerseoftheDay.com, read by 500,000 people a day. He works with churches in transition with Interim Ministry Partners and for the past 21+ years, he has been editor and president of HEARTLIGHT Magazine, author of VerseoftheDay.com, God’s Holy Fire (on the Holy Spirit),
Today’s Verse – Psalm 97:10
Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. —Psalm 97:10 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Hate – what a bold and powerful word. Jesus does not want us to hate people, not even our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48). However, we MUST HATE evil and the evil one. While balancing our hatred of the evil one with our love for others can be challenging, it is absolutely vital. Evil is here because of the evil one – the champion of hate, lies, murder, and death (John 8:44). We can and must daily pray for deliverance from evil and the evil one (Matthew 5:13). So, when evil rears its ugly head, let’s be courageous and oppose the evil one and his work. As we resist the evil one, he will flee from us (James 4:7) as we draw near to God and are strengthened by his presence (James 4:8; Hebrews 10:22). Let’s choose to be used by God to be redemptive as we pray for those trapped by evil and the evil one’s tentacles. In so doing, we are not overcome by evil and the evil one, but we overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). My Prayer… Almighty God, make my heart pained by the evil in the world around me. Please also give me a holy revulsion to things opposed to your will and character that emanate from the evil one and propagate evil in your world. At the same time, dear Father, I know that you redeemed me by grace and rescued me while I was a captive to sin and the evil one. So, please give me the courage and compassion to care for those in the evil one’s embrace and are captive to his evil ways. Please bless me as I try to balance my absolute disdain for the evil one and my love for those who have been hurt and made captive by his evil ways. Through Jesus, my Savior, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Too Close to See the Truth
Note from Jesus Dear Friend of Grace, Some reactions are predictable, but still hurt. At first, the people of Nazareth — the town where I spent most of My years growing from a boy into a man — were amazed at My teaching. Then their perception of Me changed. They thought they knew Me. They had seen Me grow up. They thought of Me as just a carpenter (Mark 6:3). They had not seen anything that suggested that I was extraordinary or impressive. To them, I was just another ordinary, God-loving, God-fearing, Torah-obeying, Jewish carpenter Who was their neighbor. When I read from the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue as recorded in today’s Scripture, the people thought nothing of it. When I applied Isaiah’s passage of mission, liberation, celebration, and grace, they were impressed… at first. Then My words began to sink in and they couldn’t get around their own conceptions of Who they thought I was. I was saying this passage, which was often associated with the blessings brought by the Messiah, was coming true right before their eyes. They went from being amazed and impressed to being furious and murderous. They actually became angrier when I told them the truth, a truth simply too close to them for them to see: the truth that I AM the Messiah. This boy Whom they had seen grow into a man was claiming to be God’s Anointed, the long awaited Messiah. I reminded them and warned them that Elijah and Elisha had similar problems with the folks in their hometowns, so these great prophets ended up blessing foreigners and outsiders who were desperate and hopeless — which is actually the point of the passage I read from Isaiah. My words made My neighbors, fellow townspeople, and relatives angrier. But no matter how angry they were and how outnumbered I was, they couldn’t get rid of Me! That’s the amazing reality of truth: you may not see it or believe it, but you cannot escape it or hide it. Sooner or later the truth comes out. I came as the Father’s Messiah — the Liberator and Deliverer of those in bondage of any and all kinds. The anger of the people who heard Me, their confusion, and their denial of these realities would not change the truth of My identity or stop the impact of My work! Verses to Live Church people can be a lot like the people of My hometown. They think they know Me because they’ve talked about Me for many years and they have an idea about what they think they should expect from Me. However, I AM the Father’s Anointed, the liberating Savior Who brings grace to those who realize they desperately need it. My disciples should be about bringing grace to the same kind of people in their world. Even if you think you have Me figured out, you shouldn’t discount what I can do through you. I have far bigger plans for you than you can ask or imagine, plans that can be realized through the Spirit Who lives in you (John 14:12-14; Ephesians 3:20-21). I want you, where you are, in the time you live, to bring My salvation to people who need it most… right now! He [Jesus] eventually came to His hometown, Nazareth, and did there what He had done elsewhere in Galilee — entered the synagogue and stood up to read from the Hebrew Scriptures. The synagogue attendant gave Him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, and Jesus unrolled it to the place where Isaiah had written these words: Jesus: The Spirit of the Lord the Eternal One is on Me. Why? Because the Eternal designated Me to be His representative to the poor, to preach good news to them. He sent Me to tell those who are held captive that they can now be set free, and to tell the blind that they can now see. He sent Me to liberate those held down by oppression. In short, the Spirit is upon Me to proclaim that now is the time; this is the jubilee season of the Eternal One’s grace. Jesus rolled up the scroll and returned it to the synagogue attendant. Then He sat down, as a teacher would do, and all in the synagogue focused their attention on Jesus, waiting for Him to speak. He told them that these words from the Hebrew Scriptures were being fulfilled then and there, in their hearing. At first everyone was deeply impressed with the gracious words that poured from Jesus’ lips. Everyone spoke well of Him and was amazed that He could say these things. Everyone: Wait. This is only the son of Joseph, right? Jesus: You’re about to quote the old proverb to Me, “Doctor, heal yourself!” Then you’re going to ask Me to prove Myself to you by doing the same miracles I did in Capernaum. But face the truth: hometowns always reject their homegrown prophets. Think back to the prophet Elijah. There were many needy Jewish widows in his homeland, Israel, when a terrible famine persisted there for three and a half years. Yet the only widow God sent Elijah to help was an outsider from Zarephath in Sidon. It was the same with the prophet Elisha. There were many Jewish lepers in his homeland, but the only one he healed — Naaman — was an outsider from Syria. The people in the synagogue became furious when He said these things. They seized Jesus, took Him to the edge of town, and pushed Him right to the edge of the cliff on which the city was built. They would have pushed Him off and killed Him, but He passed through the crowd and went on His way. (Luke 4:16-30) Response in Prayer Almighty and Sovereign God, I sometimes forget just how big you are. I confess that I sometimes don’t expect Jesus to do much through me and those around me. I believe, dear Father, but please
What’s Really Important
How do you know the difference? I heard recently from a man in his fifties. He said, “I’ve learned that the challenge of life is to find out what’s important and to disregard everything else.” Not bad advice! It’s really a shame to think about wasting your life on cotton candy, soda pop, television, and accumulating stuff while doing without what’s really important. But so many folks actually live this way, totally missing out on the important things of life. Missing the point can happen to dedicated and religious people, too. Jesus came down awfully hard on the people who spent a lot of time worrying about how to tithe tiny bits of spices but never bothered about the greater matters of the law: justice, mercy, love, and faith (Matthew 23:23-24). I guess the question is, have you learned what really counts? Do you know how to disregard the other stuff? God’s Word is a pretty good guide in that search. So is seeking after the heart and wisdom of God! Only God can help us find the path to what’s truly important! Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6). About the author: Dr. Faulkner was the very first person of note and influence who shared his content with us at HEARTLIGHT.org beginning in 1996. Paul Faulkner taught on the Abilene Christian University campus full-time for 35 years. He was honored in 1982 as the university’s Teacher of the Year. He has written several books and was a much sought-after speaker and seminar leader along with his Marriage Enrichment partner, Dr. Carl Brecheen. Dr. Faulkner mentored many ministers and church leaders, shared his loving homespun humor and wisdom through many channels, and endeared himself to thousands. Our dear friend and mentor went to be with the Lord in 2022, but his legacy lives on in the lives of those he touched and made better.
It’s Not For Everyone
Maybe the gospel isn’t for all “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29) If you think about it, this invitation by Jesus isn’t for everyone. I’m not saying that He wouldn’t receive all who wanted to come nor am I saying that His sacrifice was in any way limited. What I’m saying is Jesus is calling those who are tired. Those who feel weighed down. Those who are dissatisfied. Those who don’t like the way things are. If you’ve never gone through a hard time, if you haven’t known disappointment, if you haven’t experienced loss, Jesus’ invitation won’t be very attractive. If you enjoy war and suffering and hunger and illness and all the things that surround us in this world, you’re probably not interested in the rest that Jesus offers. If you haven’t felt the burden of guilt, the soul-wrenching weight of remorse, then a light yoke probably doesn’t sound very good. You may find it hard to appreciate what Jesus has to offer. But the vast majority of us know what it is to be weary. Tired to the bone. We know what it feels like to be burdened, be it the burden of worry, the burden of sin, the burden of illness. What we long for is rest. Rest for our souls. Even though it is a yoke that Jesus offers, it is a light one. And we’re ready. We’re willing. Show us where to sign. To us, Jesus says simply: Come. He’ll lay His yoke on us, He’ll teach us, and He’ll do it in a gentle, humble way. Come, He says. Lay your burdens down. Come. Find rest and peace. Find forgiveness and grace. Learn what it is to serve a gentle Master, one whose goal is to ease our burdens and rest our souls. No, the invitation isn’t for everyone. But I know it’s for me. And it just might be for you. If you’d like to know more, write me at tim@hopeforlife.org or leave a comment on our blog at www.hopeforlife.org/blog. (Expressed written consent must be obtained prior to republishing, retransmitting or otherwise reusing the content of this article. Contact us at info@hopeforlife.org) About the author: Tim Archer is the author of Church Inside Out and leads a seminar by the same name on behalf of Hope For Life, a Herald of Truth ministry.
Unveiling of Legacy
What will you have to pass on to your children and grandchildren? A good life gets passed on to the grandchildren … (Proverbs 13:22 MSG). Preparation Thomas Cahill writes about history, legacy really. In The Gift of the Jews, Cahill explores the impact of “the God of Abraham.” This Creator-God gives us a beginning and an end; he defines justice and mercy, refines our conscience. And, as Cahill states, “Most of our best words – new, adventure, surprise, unique, individual, person, vocation, time, history, future, freedom, progress, spirit: faith, hope, justice – are the gifts of the Jews,” Abraham’s legacy to us. Stay with me as we sneak a peek into our legacy – our view of life and living. For better or worse, my dad shaped my view of the world. Part of his personal story was clouded by years of alcohol addiction, but his perspective about life has become clearer and more meaningful as the years have gone by. From my dad, I learned to never throw away what could be fixed, to refrain from freeze-framing people (everyone can and will change), and to think outside the box (look for unexpected options). Over the years I have become his legacy, unwrapping the best and forgetting the worst. Legacy is the wisdom, convictions, experiences, and values that have been handed down to us from the generations before us. It shapes our worldview, providing wisdom and direction for the next generation. Legacy is powerful. It is a gift we are compelled to open, but after opening it, we are faced with challenges and choices. Will we accept the gift and find a place to display it and share it, toss it, or rebel against it? What have you done with the legacy you were given? How have your parents, your early years, your grandparents shaped your perspective on life? Then the bonus question: How much of your faith is yours and how much of it is what you inherited from others? Inspiration A few days ago I was blessed by a “holy moment.” Mearl’s body was at the funeral home; the memorial service was set for the next day, so most of the details related to death had been dealt with. Now it was time to talk. We gathered in the family room to tell stories, share memories, and unwrap the legacy of Mearl Jacobs. She had lived a life filled with stories, from the dust bowl of Oklahoma to Southern California to Abilene, Texas. Most people didn’t know that she worked for thirty years at Rockwell International and helped prepare the budget for the first space shuttle; or that even at 82 years of age, she loved the highest of the high-heeled shoes; or that although she really didn’t care much for baseball, she loved listening to Vin Scully call the LA Dodger’s games because her son, John, loved baseball. Before long, the conversation turned from stories about Mearl, to stories of how she changed and shaped the lives in the room. Her daughter, Carol, said, “Just a few hours before Mom died she said she wanted to go home. ‘I asked her if she meant back to her apartment?’ She said, ‘NO!’ I asked, ‘Home to be with Jesus?’ ‘YES!’” That did it. The legacy began to emerge. A tapestry of love and grace and service was realized that night. Mearl had lived a life that rubbed off on the young and old alike. When she rubbed off on you, you left a different person, a better person. She was gifted that way. She knew how to demonstrate the things that really mattered. She stood up for values that she held dear and she always seemed to know how to grace people, to accept them “as is.” Her grandkids talked of her perpetual, unconditional acceptance of them, no matter what. Some things have to be seen to be understood: love, forgiveness, acceptance, and faith are a few. Mearl knew how to help you see. Her life was an investment in family and church and friends – in people. The fingerprints of God were all over that room. It was a legacy celebration, and I was honored to feel the holiness of it. Mearl had seen the best in these kids before they had seen it in themselves and now they understood. The gift was unwrapped; the legacy unveiled. The next day, it was clear that Mearl was still around. We buried the body, but she lives in all those present and beyond. She is still hugging and giving and loving and smiling and if you are really in need of it, she is still giving “that look.” It’s her legacy. Motivation You have received a legacy and you are building a legacy. They are both bigger than you. Make the most of both. What is it that you want said about you when you’re gone? What rubbings are you leaving on the people in your family and in your world? Like those before you, you are shaping the worldview of those who come after you. So get on with it. Regardless of what others do or have done, YOU have the choice! Visit the i2eye page and take the challenge. Listen to the spots and see what God does with 21 days: http://www.faithteam.org/talks.htm About the author: Ron Rose has been a unique minister and friend, but he is also a noted author and leader of several ministries. Ron now makes himself available as a listener and friend as he spends time with people on the go and in coffee shops and shares grace and a listening ear connecting them with God who is always in the room!
Today’s Verse – Proverbs 21:21
He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor. —Proverbs 21:21 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Isn’t it sad that when we set off to find happiness, joy, significance, or meaning, we seldom find it the way we hope to find it? Instead, when we offer ourselves to serve others and give ourselves wholeheartedly to the LORD and his work, it is then that we find what we most need and what is most fulfilling. Plus, in doing this service to others, we resemble our Savior (Mark 10:43-45) and are assured that God is honored and will honor us (Philippians 2:6-11), because of how we live. Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… O Giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17-18), please bless me with opportunities to serve others and honor you in ways that demonstrate your grace and bring the reign of your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. When, in the process of serving others, you choose to meet the needs of my heart, I thank you for this double opportunity to give grace and receive it. I pray this through your servant Jesus, and to be transformed by the Spirit to be evermore like him. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Hold My Miracle in Your Hands!
Note from Jesus Dear Follower, Before you read anything else, I want you to hear the ending of the verses below from the events leading up to and then the actual “feeding of the 5000”: Everyone eats. Everyone is satisfied. Nobody goes away hungry. In fact, when the disciples recover the leftovers, they have 12 baskets full of broken pieces. There are many things you could focus upon in the verses below: The ministry of My disciples to proclaim and demonstrate My good news. Herod’s fear of Me and curiosity about Me. The confusion over My ministry and the ministry of John the Baptist. My trying to get away from the crowds to be alone with My closest disciples. The crowd’s finding Me late in the day and needing a meal, so I feed them using only 5 loaves and 2 fish. However, I want you to focus on two key things out of this series of events: the disciples’ lack of faith and My sufficiency! No matter how many great things My disciples had already done, they — like you — still had their doubts when faced with an overwhelming problem. And actually, I created the problem for them because I wanted them to learn this lesson just like I want you to learn this lesson (John 6:5-6). When they came running up to Me with their faithless solution for the problem of so many hungry and tired people, I gave them this command: “You give them something to eat.” When they didn’t get what I was trying to help them see, notice what I did and what things happened to open their eyes: I gave them a plan. I took their meager resources. I asked the Father to bless those meager resources. I broke the fish and the bread for them to serve to the people. I had them distribute the food to organized and orderly groups of people. Everyone ate and was satisfied. There were 12 baskets full of leftovers, one for each of my doubting apostles. They each got to hold My miracle in their own hands! Years before, when a scared and shy Gideon didn’t think he was up to the challenge of liberating Our people, the Father had told him to “go in the strength that you have and save” My people (Judges 6:14 NIV). I was basically telling My disciples the same thing: You only have 5 loaves and 2 fish. No big deal. You have Me! You have faith! You’ve already done great things to bless people. So bring what you have to Me and let Me make it sufficient. Go in the strength and with the resources you have and discover what you can do with My blessing! Now they didn’t get the point at first, but they surely did after I blessed the fish and bread, told them how to distribute them, had them feed the crowd, and then had them pick up the leftovers! They held My miracle in their hands! So what’s it going to take with you? When you are faced with monumental opportunities too big for you to meet, will you bring what you have to Me? Will you go in the strength that you have and trust that I can make you sufficient? Will you get to hold My miracle in your hands? Verses to Live The following events come together to form a powerful story. It’s the see-saw of My disciples’ faith: they do great things, they face a greater challenge and doubt, I step in, and then they experience the power of God at work in them to do more than they could have imagined. But, for you, let’s avoid the see-saw: believe that I can make your efforts for the Kingdom sufficient as you trust Me and do what I ask of you! The disciples left on their journeys from village to village. They preached the good news, and they healed the sick everywhere they went. Their mission didn’t go unnoticed. The local official installed by Rome, Herod, was especially anxious about the news because rumors were flying. Some people said that Elijah or one of the other ancient prophets had been resurrected, while others said that John, famous for his ritual cleansing, was alive and preaching again. Herod: I am the one who beheaded John. So Who is this man Who is causing such a stir? Herod was curious about Jesus and wanted to see Him. The emissaries whom Jesus had sent out returned, and Jesus took them away from the crowds for a time of retreat in a city called Bethsaida. They gave Jesus a full report of their accomplishments and experiences. But soon the crowds discovered where they were and pursued Him. Jesus didn’t turn them away; He welcomed them, spoke of the kingdom of God to them, and brought health to those who needed healing. Picture what happened while in Bethsaida, where Jesus and His disciples were spending time with the crowds: The sun is low in the sky, and soon it will be dusk. The twelve come to Jesus with advice. Disciples: Send the crowd away so they can find lodging and food in the nearby villages and countryside. We’re out here in the middle of nowhere. Jesus: No. You give them something to eat. Disciples: Are You kidding? There are at least 5,000 men here, not to mention women and children. All we have are five loaves and two fish. The only way we could provide for them would be to go to a nearby city and buy cartloads of food. That would cost a small fortune. Jesus: Just do this: organize them in little communities of about 50 people each and have them sit down. They do what Jesus says, and soon groups of 50 are scattered across the landscape. Then Jesus takes the five loaves and two fish, and He looks up to heaven. He praises God for the food, takes each item,