Food

Food

John 6: ²⁶ Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. ²⁷ Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

============

Sitting in the highly decorated restaurant, a number of people waited on our table. We had our own wait staff who promptly brought out any food or drink that we requested. The main course contained a very expensive Kobe beef steak. “This meal is a long way from beans and franks” I thought to myself. “Maybe I should become rich and eat like this more often.”

• I have eaten expensive foods.
• I have eaten at some very high end restaurants.
• I have sought out new foods as entertainment and pleasure.

The crowd sought JESUS because HE fed them when they had no food. JESUS performed a miracle, dividing a boy’s lunch into thousands of filling portions. JESUS saw through their quest to follow HIM. HE warned them not to seek HIM because HE was some sort of food pantry. But what is HE?

• JESUS wants me to seek HIM for everlasting life.
• JESUS wants me to start my eternal life right now by listening to HIM daily.
• JESUS wants me to accept HIS seal that no one can steal or remove, including myself.

Seeking food for pleasure or necessity can distract me from the real food GOD wants to give me. When JESUS said “Man does not live by bread alone” HE was telling me that there is more to life than eating. Preoccupation with staying healthy or gaining new tastes can take up precious time that could be spent with GOD.

HE knows I have to eat and does not mind if I eat a tasty meal, but what about those who have not eaten a meal in a while? GOD wants me to listen to HIS food so I can be nourished with the word enough to execute what it says. HE wants me to share my spiritual and physical food with those in need. I am glad HE feeds me daily.

• Are you hungry for GOD?
• Do you seek physical food?
• Will you take time today and seek GOD’s food which is everlasting?

Help Them

Luke 9: ¹⁰ And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. ¹¹ But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. ¹² When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.”

¹³ But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.”

And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.” ¹⁴ For there were about five thousand men.

Then He said to His disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.”¹⁵ And they did so, and made them all sit down.

¹⁶ Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. ¹⁷ So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.

============

Driving under a viaduct, I could see  a mound or stuff that looked like trash. Upon closer inspection I could see a person laying in the heap. The person was homeless and I felt sorry for them. The light changed and I drove on.

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed seeing people in need around me.

Sometimes I feel like the problem is too big for me to even start helping.

Sometimes I feel exhausted just thinking of my problems, let alone the problems other people are facing.

JESUS says something very strange. HE tells the disciples “You give them something to eat” in reference to feeding a crowd of five thousand or more people. They only had enough food for one person and suggested “money” and “time” as the answer. BUT GOD had another answer.

GOD wants me to know that only HE is the answer to any problem.

GOD wants me to understand that only HE can provide when it looks impossible.

GOD wants me to seek HIM as a solution to everything.

JESUS spoke with the FATHER then split the food up so everyone ate their fill. There was so much food left over that each disciple had a large basket of leftovers. HE wants me to see that only HE is the answer to all of my problems, large and small. HE grows my faith to believe HE can do absolutely anything!

Are you overwhelmed?

Do you think large problems require a solution that comes from humans?

Will you allow GOD to show you how great and powerful HE really is by trusting that HE has the solution?

Powerful Instructions

Mark 6: ³⁵ When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. ³⁶ Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.”

³⁷ But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.”

And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?”

³⁸ But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”

And when they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.”

³⁹ Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. ⁴¹ And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. ⁴² So they all ate and were filled. ⁴³ And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. ⁴⁴ Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.

============

“Run the division” were the words spoken to me that were absolutely outrageous. I hadn’t run anything large and the request, while exciting, quickly became overwhelming. How am “I” supposed to do that? I laid awake thinking.

• Sometimes I think “I” have to do everything under “my” power.
• Sometimes the task placed in front of me seems huge.
• Sometimes I get overwhelmed with the unknown.

“You give them something to eat” were JESUS’ words. HE expected HIS disciples, who had just performed all sorts of miracles, to believe they could perform another. Somehow JESUS knew they could do more than they thought, but HE also knew the people were hungry so HE performed the miracle.

• JESUS knows the faith I have.
• JESUS knows that if I believe and have faith in HIM, amazing things can happen.
• JESUS knows the plans HE has for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me hope and a future.

JESUS knows I can do more, but most times I don’t think so. I think miracles are for the select few and reduce GOD down to only finding keys, jobs and money. GOD can heal people, relationships and diseases. HE can bring lost people back to HIS loving arms and HE can even forgive me.

• Do you feel lost?
• Is GOD saying you can do more than you can ever imagine?
• Will you stop getting your faith from what you can see and rely on GOD to provide the power?

Being part of it

Matthew 14: ¹³ When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴ When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

¹⁵ As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

¹⁶ Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

¹⁷ “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

¹⁸ “Bring them here to me,” he said. ¹⁹ And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. 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 the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. ²⁰ They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ²¹ The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

============

 Amazing life in abundance is what GOD wants me to have. When HE has something for me to do, HE will not only provide HE will multiply. The strange thing about this slice of history is the JESUS told the disciples to feed the people with inadequate resources. They even questioned HIM.

• GOD expects me to do amazing things with my limited resources.
• GOD expects me to feed thousands without having the means to do so.
• GOD expects me to be part of HIS solution rather than constantly voicing the problem.

Being part of it means I have to trust GOD when HE tells me to do something huge and I don’t even know where to start. It means being diligent when there is nowhere left to turn. GOD wants to do some amazing things with me and through me. All I need to do is trust HIS provision.

• Is GOD calling you to do something amazing yet you don’t have the resources?
• Do you feel GOD is leading you to do something and you don’t know how to do it?
• Will you allow GOD to provide the resources while you provide your willingness?