But Jesus looked at them and said, With men this is impossible, but all things are possible with God. Mat. 19:26 (AMPC)
I grew up in church. I heard all of the great testimonies of what God did, like the time He parted the Red Sea and the children of Israel walked across it on dry ground when Pharaoh’s army in Egypt was chasing them. That is just one of hundreds shared with us in the Bible.
I have no problem believing every one of them. Perhaps I have the gift of faith. Yet others try to minimize or explain them. It’s as if they try to use their own intellect to understand God. That never works! God cannot be minimized or reduced to fit within the limits of our minds! Honestly, it seems like a feeble attempt to minimize the power and importance of God. I think doing that helps them reduce the reason they should accept him and his Son, Jesus.
That kind of thinking, for those who have accepted God and his Son, Jesus, hurts them from believing God can do anything to help them in their own time of need. The times when they need a “walk across on dry ground” miracle in their own lives.
Recently, this topic came up in my men’s Bible study group. The gentleman sitting next to me turned and said, “Mark, your God box is bigger than most.” I looked at him and said, “Are you kidding me? I don’t put God in a box at all!”
Believing in God, as I do, has allowed me to see so many miracles in my own life. Sometimes, I’ll share them in some of the blogs I write. I’m not special, but when I read in the Bible that “with God, all things are possible,” I simply believe it. Doing so allows me to ask God in prayer for anything, even miracles. Does He always answer? No, or at least in the way I want Him to, or by the deadline I try to impose, but I trust God to do things His way.
I challenge you, today, to take God out of the box. Allow Him to roam free in your life. To stop imposing your own limits on Him. Then, take him at his word. Ask for dry ground. Ask him for directions and guidance. Ask, and believe for that miracle that only God can do. If you do, you will be amazed at what He does. And then, the next time you need anything, you will turn to the God who can do anything!
“She died because not enough people prayed.” I heard those words once in my spirit after a friend of mine passed away with cancer. I have never mentioned this until now. Why? Because I wasn’t sure if it was scriptural or something I made up. But after years of reading God’s word, I might be able to say it is.
Prayer, combined with faith, is a powerful force. Jesus said in Matthew 17:20, even a little can move mountains. We read in James 5:16 that the prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective. These are verses about one person praying. But what about groups of people praying?
Matthew 18:20 states that when people pray together that Jesus is in their midst, therefore, making their prayers more powerful.In Acts 1:14, we see where the early church joined together in prayer daily.
When I was a child, perhaps I was about nine years old, one Sunday morning, there was a commotion in church while the pastor was preaching. I don’t recall her name, so let’s call her sister Hawthorne, an older woman cried out, stood up, and then collapsed. We had several firemen who attended our church, and they rushed to her aid and started CPR. She had died. Of course, as time passed, about fifteen minutes, more and more people were looking at what was going on than listening to the pastor.
Reverend H.D. Pieratt finally noticed and, being the man of God that he was, asked, “What is going on?” One of the firemen responded, “Sister Hawthorne has died.” He asked, “Did you pray?” When the reply came back, “No,” he said, “Church, let’s pray.” We did. As soon as “Amen” was said, sister Hawthorne got up. She said she was fine but was encouraged to go to the hospital anyway.
There is power in corporate prayer! Then I have to turn my attention to the scripture in Deuteronomy 32:20:
“How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them,and the Lord had closed them up?”
Deuteronomy 32:30 emphasizes the power of divine assistance, illustrating that with God’s help, even a small number can achieve great victories against overwhelming odds.
So, do I believe that some situations, needs can only be accomplished if enough people know about it and pray? Yes! Is there a certain number? I don’t think so, but when someone has a need, we should spread the word, not as gossip, but as a call to prayer, so that we will be obedient in making our request known (to man) and to God, so God can fight for you!
I received an email the other night from an old friend. I had not seen them in several years. They said they had been thinking about me and wanted to know if I was okay. We exchanged emails and got caught up, somewhat.
I learned a little bit about their life since I last saw them. It was basic information. Their spouse is okay, their child is now nine, they aren’t working, and why. Stuff like that. Sadly, I got the overwhelming impression that they weren’t happy. In fact, they made the statement that their life was boring.
I shared how much I was enjoying my retirement years, that April liked her job, about the new church we started attending this year, and our involvement there. I also shared that I had finished remodeling the house and that we had new furniture that April had picked out, and how she had done a great job. I did mention how I didn’t like getting old, though.
I wasn’t exaggerating or embellishing, but just telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God. In their final reply, they wrote, “I’m glad you’re doing okay.”
Their comment got me thinking. Was I bragging? Was I trying to impress them? Why was my life doing okay?
I know in my heart that despite body aches and pains, some hiccups in life, some frustrations in our marriage, and working hard to pay off the bills, our life isn’t bad. Why? Because April and I have accepted Jesus Christ and have had our sins forgiven, and know that he is still forgiving us of our new ones. We both read God’s word, the Bible, regularly, and we tithe faithfully. We are committed to our local church and do what we can to help there, which has allowed us to develop relationships with real people who believe like we do. We also do what we can to share God and His amazing love with others as the Holy Spirit leads and gives us boldness to speak up. That is why we are doing okay!
I do realize some may say, “I do all those things and yet my life isn’t okay.” I honestly don’t have an answer as to why that is for some. But I know that April and I both invited God into our lives at a young age and have tried our best to surrender our free will to him. Perhaps that has something to do with it as well. God tends to bless obedience, and I know that faith pleases him.
But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]. Heb. 11:6 (AMPC)
For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. Jer. 29:11 (AMPC)
5 Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.6 In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. Prov. 3:5-6 (AMPC)
If there were such a thing as a “recipe” for living a life pleasing to God, then this may be it. April and I enjoy our lives. We feel blessed because we are. It’s like living in a garden, and after all, in the beginning, isn’t that what God intended?
The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. 1 John 4:8
That scripture also indicates that if you don’t know God, then you will struggle to trust him. If you are having difficulty trusting him, then you will be prone to lean upon your own understanding.
5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. But don’t, dear friend, resent God’s discipline; don’t sulk under his loving correction. It’s the child he loves that God corrects; a father’s delight is behind all this. Prov. 3:5-12 (MSG)
It’s that first step of faith that we are unsure of. Like a child just learning to walk. They want to walk, in truth, they want to run, because running can put a smile on your face. Unless, of course, you are running from danger. But our faith journey starts with one step, and when we see we are still standing, we are then willing to take the next one.
The same goes with God! You have to take that first step. In fact, you already have. You had faith that He existed and that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for your sins. So now take the second step and trust him with something that is going on in your life. Then the third, and soon you will not simply find yourself walking with God but running! Usually, the runner is extremely confident in where they are going. But for us, we run with God and we are confident in Him!
That is why Paul said:
I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith! 2 Tim. 4:7 (NET)
In order to run, you have to first walk. In order to walk, you have to have knowledge that you can trust. To gain knowledge of God, you have to get to know him. You do that by reading his word and talking to him, and learning to love. Then you attend a church that teaches the word of God and promotes that you have a deep personal relationship with him. Doing so will put a smile on your face.
I once heard that a “coincidence” is a small miracle where God insists on remaining anonymous. Maybe, but I’m not sure, because He wants to be known. For the devout follower of God, one who has a great relationship with Him, their steps are ordained (officially ordered by God).
It still amazes me, to this day, how God does such a thing. Especially, if your path is to cross with someone else’s. If left to your decisions, would you be too early, or too late for your assignment? But when you yield to God, you are always on time! That kind of relationship takes trust and faith in the God who runs the universe.
This happened to me yesterday. I was going to get out the door and run my errands before it got too hot. I also wanted to mow the lawn. Lately, the grass has been wet from a heavy dew until as late as 2 – 3 PM. I looked out the window and saw that the dew wasn’t too bad and there was a strong breeze. I heard a soft prompting in my spirit, “Go mow.”
I did, and I have to say, for the middle of summer, it wasn’t too bad. After finishing, I was glad I got it done. I came in, showered to help cool down, ate lunch, and then headed out to deal with the errands.
On my second stop, I encountered a young man. Through a thread of conversation, we wound up talking about church. It seemed as if he wasn’t going or wasn’t happy where he was going. I invited him to the church that April and I are going to. I shared with him why we like it so much. I am excited because I believe he will come. Then, on my last stop, I had a serious conversation with another young man about the importance of a trusting faith in God.
I could not dismiss what had taken place and knew that if I had run my errands earlier in the day as I was planning on, I probably would have missed both of them. I love being led by God and having my steps officially ordered. I have learned to trust him in knowing what to say to people and how much. I am humbled that God would allow me to take part in conducting his business. Of course, I won’t know the outcome until I get to heaven, and I’m okay with that, because I know that God’s words never return to him void.
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Prov. 3: 5-6 (MSG)
Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. Is. 30:21 (NLT)
We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. Prov. 16:9 (NLT)
The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Ps. 37:23 (NLT)
God wants to be known:
To you it was shown, that you might realize and have personal knowledge that the Lord is God Deut. 4:35a (AMPC)
Scripture reassures us, “No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it.”Rom. 10:11 (MSG)
Yesterday, at the time of this writing, my pastor spoke from the book of Genesis about how Abram (later Abraham) picked up and left everything to follow God and his plan for his life. Today I sent the following message to him.
Hi Pastor,
I could relate to your message yesterday. When I was 20, God called me into the ministry. Three weeks after I turned 21, I left Tulsa, my budding, stable career with PSO, family, and friends, and drove 1640 miles to Acton, MA.
I took a position in an Assembly of God church that was new, and they said they couldn’t pay me a salary. Yet I had a car payment, a student loan to pay back (with no Joe Biden’s help), and living costs. My father forbade me from going. (I was not living under his roof at the time.) Also, I lost my best friend over it because he thought I should obey my father. Yet I knew God told me to go, and I wanted to “trust” Him and obey.
God was faithful, and everything got paid. I learned so much about following God back then. It has truly been the greatest adventure one could ever live! I, too, desire for everyone to experience that kind of relationship with God, and that is the basis of my blogs.
In closing, I sensed the Holy Spirit whisper to me yesterday while you were speaking, “Because you trusted me and obeyed, I have poured out my blessings upon you ever since.”
Romans 10:11 is so true! You don’t follow God for what you can get from him. He simply likes to bless his children who believe so strongly in him. One can never follow God too closely.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Heb. 11:6 (NIV)
6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. Gal. 3:6-9 (NIV)
I use an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of and forecast our household budget and expenses. Sometime last year, I started declaring at the top of each month’s sheet, “GOD WILL PROVIDE!” Then I list our income and expenses by date. You know how a budget works.
After I balance each month with my bank statement, am I the only one who still does that? I make the following declaration: GOD DID PROVIDE!
I admit that our budget has tightened with the current expenses of remodeling our house and buying some new furniture. So when God started whispering to April and me to be benevolent for a particular cause, my first thought was, “Ouch!” That is going to make life a little more uncomfortable for a bit. It’s kind of like putting on an old pair of jeans after months of not wearing them, and you realize you have gained ten pounds or so! “Ouch!”
Now, April and I can do our part and not eat out like we did last month, and we can do what we can to keep our utility bills down, but that is only going to help so much. But here’s the thing: I know God. I know how He works, and if we continue to tithe and live in a way pleasing to him, God will provide! I don’t know how, but He always does!
I don’t have to know how He is going to do it, but I know that He knows what we need, and our heavenly Father, who loves us, will take care of our needs.
The exciting part of where the money went is it has the potential to change a person’s life for eternity. And their changed life may very well change the lives of countless others. I feel honored that God would speak to our hearts and allow us to be a part of his plan and the great love story that He is writing in that individual’s life.
That individual had a need, and at some point, they probably had no clue as to how God would provide for them. I hope they never forget that He came through in the last hour.
I tell you the truth: living with God and for God is the most fun you will ever have and the greatest adventure of your life. I hope, if you never have, you will accept him and his Son, Jesus, into your life and start down the road of faith. Faith pleases God.
April and I have faith that God will provide!
But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out]. Heb. 11:6 (AMPC)
“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Mat. 6:30-33 (MSG)
I wrote about the tree that God gave us in our front flowerbed a couple of years ago. A quick reminder: I wanted a tree but could not afford to buy one. While growing flowers, April and I noticed a maple tree starting to grow. I have nurtured it for three years.
This spring, the tree was getting big and growing close to the house, so I knew it was time to move it. I started digging, and it was then that I realized just how big the root system had grown in three years. I had to cut through some of the roots, but I was finally able to get the tree out. I had bought a burlap sack to put the root system in and used as much of the dirt from where the tree was initially growing as I could.
I dug a hole where the tree’s new home would be. After placing the root ball in the hole, I filled it with more dirt. Then, I poked a hole in the dirt and added lots of water. Two days later, I thought the tree had died. All of the leaves had turned brown and shriveled up. I was heartbroken, but I kept on watering it.
On the third day after the transplant, I prayed. I said, “God, you gave us this tree, and you know I wanted a tree. I was so excited when I discovered it growing in the flower garden. Please, God, don’t let this tree die.” For the next several days, I watered the tree a lot.
Then one day, while watering, I noticed some small green buds sprouting. I started to tear up with joy overflowing in my spirit. God had answered my prayer. My tree was going to make it and grow in its new home. God is so good and cares so much for us.
Maybe you have recently been transplanted, and the move or change doesn’t seem to be going well. Perhaps you feel as though you are going to die. Tell God about how you are feeling. Remind him of his promises and tell him what you need in order to make it. He’s there listening and waiting for you to invite him into your situation.
No one can see your root system. They don’t know what God put inside the burlap sack to nourish you or the people He has placed in your life to help you. To water you and to feed your soul. I know God, and I know he planned this out a long time ago for your life. He is not a so-called “Fly by the seat of his pants, God.” He is supreme and omnipotent. He knows what He is doing. Despite how things look on the outside (dead leaves), you’re going to make it. You’re going to survive, and in fact, you’re going to thrive as long as you keep trusting God.
“But blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the woman who sticks with God. They’re like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers— Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, Serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season. Jer. 17:7-8 (MSG)
The five of us had been friends for as long as I can remember. I’ve joked over the years that we were so close we probably came from the same mother. Okay, so we didn’t look alike. We all grew up in the same neighborhood. If the five of us weren’t at one house, then we were at another. Usually, one of our mothers would get tired of us boys being boys and send us to the next house. We did everything together. We played games together. We went to school together and a lot of the time we ate together. Whoever’s house we were at when it was time to eat, we did.
As we grew, so did our bond. When someone picked a fight with one of us, they really were picking a fight with all five of us. Whenever one of us got a new tunic, we would give our old one to whoever needed it. We also helped each other with school. I guess what I am saying is when one rejoiced we all rejoiced. When one experienced sorrow, we all did. At that time, I had no idea how long this bond would last or how far it would go.
The accident that paralyzed me from the neck down happened on a hot and muggy day. Being teens, we went off on our own to the local swimming hole. It was extremely crowded there that day, so we decided to go down a ways. We had never swam there before, but it certainly looked okay. I felt I had to be the show off that particular day, so I disrobed quickly, then ran and dove head first into the water. Yep. Sure enough, there was a rock ledge under the water that I didn’t know about. Instantly, my spine was snapped. The other guys thought I was joking around when I didn’t surface, but then they jumped in and found me in the murky water and got me to the surface for air.
They carried my limp body to my parent’s house. The local doctor was summoned, but there was nothing he could do but confirm my parent’s concerns. I would never walk again or do anything on my own ever again but breathe. I was thankful to be alive, but in some ways, I would have rather died that day. For this was life, but it was not really living.
Days turned to months. I finally accepted my new life. I finally accepted someone having to feed me, clean me, and, worst of all, change me. My buddies still came and got me. They would still involve me as much as I could to be involved. Whenever they played games, I would watch, and if there were any disputes, they turned to me to settle them. As we all got older, our attention turned to girls. At first, the guys thought I would be a drag, but as it turned out, I was usually the one the girls felt the most comfortable being around. Maybe that’s because I was safe. I couldn’t touch them. There were only two parts to me that could still move. My eyes and my mouth. Believe me, I learned to use them to draw the girls in.
I would use my mouth to make the girls come over to us guys. I would say things like, ’ Who wants to ride on a flying carpet?’’ Or when I would be talking to a young girl, I would say, ‘’I promise never to leave you!’’ Another girl I told, ‘’Look at the bright side. You will always know where I am hanging out.’’ Once, I told a young lady if we were to get married, not to say, ‘’You lazy pig! You constantly lie around doing nothing.’’ She didn’t think that was very funny. My buddies laughed. When a woman would get close to me, she would usually tell me that I had pretty eyes. It’s not like she could flirt by saying I was fast or strong.
No matter how charming I was with my words, I was never able to convince a woman to marry me. And why should she? It would be a lot to take on. Not to mention me not being able to pull my own weight around the place. So, I watched my buddies all get married and start their families. Sure, we would all still get together, but it just wasn’t the same. I never believed they felt sorry for me. If they did, I wouldn’t have seen it. I thought this was how my life would go until I died. I tried to stay optimistic, but honestly, there were moments I would feel sorry for myself. I often wondered what good could come out of this.
One day, all of my buddies came running into the house. They were all talking loudly at the same time. They were so excited about the same thing, it seemed, but I couldn’t make out what it was. I got them to settle down long enough for one of them to be able to catch his breath and tell me what they were all trying to say to me. Apparently, there was a man named Jesus in town. The word on the street was this man had the power to heal people of anything. It was too good to be true, I thought.
They grabbed me and put me squarely on my mat. Each one grabbed a corner, and off we went. Their speed was incredible. I’m sure I enjoyed this speed when I was younger. I asked the guys to slow down, but they didn’t and said something like they didn’t want to miss this. My body bounced all over that mat. I wish I could have hung on, but… um no.
They turned a corner and came to an abrupt stop. I asked, “What is it?” “The crowd,” they said. “It is so great!” They froze. I could tell each one was doing their best to problem solve. Then one of my buddies shouted, “Look! Jesus is in that house over there!” Another buddy sighed as he said, “Of course. The house with the largest crowd outside of it. What are we going to do?” Then, it hit them all about the same time. “The roof!” “Yes, of course,” said another. “It will work! It has to work. That is the only way to get him in front of Jesus.” I said, “Are you all crazy?” Collectively, they all responded, “YES!”
So off we went. They found some stairs that led to the roofs. When we got to the roof above Jesus, they set me down. Okay, honestly, they dropped me. Three of them got on their knees and started digging with their hands frantically. You would have thought they were digging for gold or something valuable. I guess to them, me being healed was. I was thinking, “I hope no one recognizes me, Ha! But who am I kidding? Everybody knows or has heard of me.”
As my buddies started getting through the roof, you could hear the people below yelling and complaining about chunks of roofing materials hitting them in the head. I was about to tell my buddies to stop and to put everything back, but I didn’t for two reasons: 1) the damage had been done, and 2) there was no stopping these guys. They wholeheartedly believed what they had been told about this man, Jesus. It’s like they knew he could heal me without any doubts in their minds.
After they had completed making the hole big enough, the fourth buddy returned with some rope. They fastened the rope to each corner of my mat. Then they pushed me through the hole. I don’t know if they had more faith in Jesus or in those ropes holding me. Now, the crowd below understood what was going on. Those who could reached up and helped me down, and they positioned me in front of Jesus.
I looked into his eyes. I wanted to apologize for my buddies’ enthusiasm and for them making such a mess. I wanted to say to Jesus, “I’m sorry. I’ll clean it up before I go.” But of course, I knew I couldn’t. Actually, I couldn’t speak at all. I just looked into his eyes, and I saw love, wisdom, peace, and power. Jesus didn’t know me, but he knew why I was there. He looked up at my buddies still on the roof, and he smiled at them. He waived as if to say, “Good job guys. You get me.” Then he turned and looked at my limp body. It was as if, at that moment, he had seen all my tears and hurts and all the times I had asked God to heal me. Again, he looked up at my buddies and said, “Because of the faith of your friends, take up thy bed and walk.”
I felt a fire go through my body. I felt my bones get hard. Actually, I realized at that moment that I could feel everything again below my neck. So I quickly obeyed as if before he would change his mind. I got out of the prison that had held me down for so long. For some, their prison is actual bars. For others, it’s their sins, but for me, it was my health. Not anymore. I stood up. I slowly took a step and then another. I turned back to look at Jesus. I smiled so big. He smiled, too. I told him I was so grateful. He just said, “I know.” The people were applauding, cheering, celebrating. I looked up at my buddies. They were so happy as well, but tears of joy were flowing down their faces. Oh, as for the roof, I paid out of the family trust for all of the proper repairs to be made. I secretly kept a piece of the roof, though. It was a reminder of what Jesus had done for me, not that I needed it, but mainly as a testament to the faith of my buddies. Faith that says, “I believe even though I don’t know how I believe.”
(The actual account can be found in the Bible. Luke 5:17-26)
If you have never had your own encounter with Jesus Christ, know that you can. He is waiting for you to accept his offer of forgiveness for your sins. With that begins a relationship that brings hope, encouragement, comfort, and guidance with the added bonus of eternal life. Along the way, you can ask for help with anything. Problems in life, relationships, and healing. Having a relationship with Jesus is the best thing you will ever do with your life. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are real. So are heaven and hell. There are no other alternatives. Encounter Jesus and change your life.
I first heard of Jesus at the dinner table. Mom and Dad were talking about him. Really, everybody was. Here was this man going around the area teaching people how to live within the laws but beyond the law Moses had given us. He was also healing people, a lot of people. Word had it Jesus was coming to where I lived. This was amazing to me. I couldn’t wait.
The parts of his story that Mom and Dad struggled to believe I accepted. So what if he was born to a woman in Bethlehem? Isn’t that how everyone enters life? Besides, growing up here, he knew and understood how hard life was for us, especially for a kid, in these parts. In general, women were mistreated, but kids were treated even worse. In my culture, kids were the lowest of the pecking order. Some even considered us disposable.
On the day Jesus arrived, I packed a pretty good lunch for myself. My family headed out early. We wanted to get a good spot so we could see everything. Apparently, everyone else had the same idea. There were so many people there. I think the whole town must have closed up shop. I mean, there were at least 5,000, and that’s just counting the men. I don’t have any idea how many women and kids were there because we didn’t count, remember?
When Jesus arrived, he climbed high upon a rock so that most people could see and hear him. His teachings were like nothing I had ever heard before! At times, he would take a break from teaching and heal people. It was in those moments that everyone would really pay attention to what he was doing.
The next thing we knew, it was getting pretty late in the day. People were starting to listen more to their stomachs than to Jesus. I don’t know how in the world Jesus wasn’t hungry. He must have been in the spirit; therefore, he was not aware of the things of this world. He had been working hard for the biggest part of the day. It was about this time his disciples noticed the crowd stirring. One of them approached Jesus, interrupting his teaching. You could tell he didn’t want to do this, but either he was the boldest of the twelve, or he drew the shortest straw of grass. Later, I heard someone call him Peter.
I’m not sure exactly what Jesus said to him, but Peter gave him a look I had given my mother a few times. That look that says, “Are you kidding me?” Someone behind me must have been able to read lips because he was telling people that Jesus had just told Peter to feed us. Hah! You have got to be kidding. No wonder Peter gave Jesus that look. Everybody who was realizing what was said began to laugh. I started thinking, “Well, if everybody gave some of what they had brought and we put it all together, everybody would get something at least.”
I watched as the disciples went around trying to collect food from everyone, anyone, but people were saying no or lying about bringing food altogether. I don’t understand this. I know people brought food. Why wouldn’t they turn it over? I heard a lot of grumbling and complaining. “I’m not about to give what I brought! It just isn’t enough!” Another said, “Jesus must be crazy!” One said, “Why doesn’t he just end this and send everyone back home?” Still, another said, “It’s such a small amount. What could Jesus do with this?”
I started getting very upset with these people. I thought, “What’s wrong with them? They have just heard one of the best sermons. You’re telling me that they have already forgotten what Jesus said? And they haven’t even gotten dismissed yet! And what about the miracles they’ve just witnessed? Did that not stir their hearts or build their faith? This is the Son of God here, people!”
I told my mother I was going to give over the food I had brought. She patted me on the back and said, “Honey, you really don’t have to do that. Jesus will certainly understand.” “But mom!” I replied. “This is Jesus.” She studied my face for what seemed like forever and said with such tenderness, “Then you go ahead.”
I think Thomas is the disciple who I handed over my food to. He looked at me, patted me on the head, and said, “Ah, thanks, kid, but I doubt this will help at all.” I looked at him squarely in the eyes and said, “Look, just place it in the hands of Jesus.” He just froze there for a bit and then assured me he would.
It seemed as if it didn’t take that long for the twelve to make their way through the crowd. The disciples handed over to Jesus what they had collected. He looked at it for a while as one disappointed. Disappointed, perhaps, because only one in the crowd, without understanding “how,” gave. Then Jesus instructed that the men were to be seated in groups of fifty. I didn’t think this was for Jesus’ benefit but for ours. I believe he wanted the people to know just how great this miracle was going to be.
Jesus then took the food, looked up to his Heavenly Father, and prayed over it. Then he broke it and handed it to his disciple. The disciple broke it and passed it on. It was as if Jesus was saying, “Pass the blessing on.” One man after the other broke the bread and the fish and passed it on to the next man. Finally, it made its way back to me. I smiled… I knew Jesus was awesome, but to take so little and do something great with it, wow! After everyone had seemed to eat enough, not even trying to save room for dessert, Jesus commanded his disciples to gather the leftovers. Would you believe there were twelve baskets of food left over? You talk about “The God of more than enough.” it was then I noticed that those who withheld their food looked ashamed.
To the day I died, people called me “The Food Man.” I’m not sure if it’s because I went on to feed people through the food pantry I ran or because of the day I gave Jesus my lunch, but I never let go of the truth of putting anything in God’s hand, no matter how small and watch him do something mighty with it.
(The actual account can be found in the Bible. John 6:1-15)
If you have never had your own encounter with Jesus Christ, know that you can. He is waiting for you to accept his offer of forgiveness for your sins. With that begins a relationship that brings hope, encouragement, comfort, and guidance with the added bonus of eternal life. Along the way, you can ask for help with anything. Problems in life, relationships, and healing. Having a relationship with Jesus is the best thing you will ever do with your life. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are real. So are heaven and hell. There are no other alternatives. Encounter Jesus and change your life.
brady, mark a. 