From Lack to Leftovers

“God will never allow you to keep a spiritual blessing completely for yourself.  It must be given back to Him so that He can make it a blessing for others.” ~Oswald Chambers

God uses fantastic math!  He has a way of multiplying the little that we have to offer (which was already given by Him) and making it so much better than if we had kept it.  He is wonderful!

Mark 6:30-44,  Jesus, seeking some time away, but invaded by a crowd, has compassion on the people and begins to teach them.  He taught  them “many things”.  Evidently,  He had much He wanted to share.  It became very late.    Jesus instructed His disciples to feed the people.  They would have liked to send them away.  Why?  Were they bad people?  Did they lack compassion?  Did they dislike the people?  No.  I suggest that they simply realized their own limitations.

The disciples realized the time.  It was very late.  They looked in their wallets and saw lack.  They realized in themselves , they did not have what the people needed.  So, their suggestion was, “send the people away…so they can go and buy themselves something to eat.”  But, Jesus answered, “You buy them something to eat.”

The disciples looked again at what they had; as well as what they did not have.  They calculated that it would cost them 8 months salary to feed the crowd before them.  In themselves it was impossible!  Jesus wanted to know, and He wanted them to know exactly what He had to work with.

“How many loaves do you have?”  “Go and see.”  They found out and answered, five loaves and two fish.    After they were painfully aware of their own limitations, Jesus rose to action.   He used the disciples to serve the meal.  He used them to feed the need in front of them.  What was impossible for them to do alone became a wonderful feast as Jesus looked to heaven, gave thanks, and directed His disciples in the work at hand.

All who were there ate, and were satisfied.  The meal went from lack to leftovers!  Twelve baskets full of broken pieces and bread were left over and picked up by the disciples.  Five thousand men had eaten.  An untold number of women and children most likely ate to their full as well.

The five loaves and two fish wouldn’t have fed many.  Apart from giving Jesus the little they had to work with, there would have been lack.  With Jesus there was surplus!  This is the heart of worship.  It is allowing God to be glorified by giving Him back all that we have, all that we are, all that we are not.  It is welcoming God to have His way as we extend His blessing to the hungry.

Dear Lord, I pray that You would purify my heart so that all that I have, all that I lack and all of the needs in front of me are laid open to You.  I pray that You would use all that You have already blessed me with; and multiply it in ways that only You can do.  I love honor and worship You, Lord Jesus.  Have Your way and be glorified in and through me.  In Jesus name, I pray.  Amen.

OOOOOH!!!! A Dolphin?!!

“Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air, but only for one second without hope.”  ~unknown

I have been working on the other side of the bay quite a bit lately.   At first, I wasn’t too thrilled about the drive.  It’s not that far, but the traffic can be a challenge.  However, I have found myself enjoying the drive and somewhat looking forward to it.  It is good for my soul to be near water.  It calms me.  I am refreshed even at the sight of it.  Early morning, (in spite of traffic) it’s so beautiful to see the sun rising in the sky; or the stillness of fog hovering above the water.

It is out of my commute that the Lord began to speak to me this week.  You see, just at my first glimpse of water, on the edge of the bay something caught my eye.  Daily, my eye would behold a slight hump above the water and some ripples around it.  My heart would leap at what I thought could be a dolphin.  I have lived near their habitat for 30 years now, but I am still thrilled at a sighting!  However, as I drove closer, I would realize that it was not a friend with a fin, but a piece of drift wood.  EVERY day last week, I repeated this scenario on my commute.

One day I went in to the office earlier, closer to daybreak.  Through the trees I saw a reddish hue.  My heart warmed at what was to be a most beautiful sunrise; I was sure.  However, as I drove closer, I realized it was not the glow of the sun but the incandescence of a Walgreens sign.

I marvelled  at how I had been tricked.  I mean, really!  I can see a one time drug store duping, but a daily dolphin distortion?!!!  Believe it or not, it is from such things that God Almighty  speaks to me.

I began to ponder how easily we humans can be deceived.  We truly need to have the mind of Christ as the enemy of our soul appears as an angel of light(2 Cor 11:14).  Something can appear to us as true and good; and we want it to be so.  But, it might not be so.  In relationships, finances, business ventures, decision making we need to present it all to God and let Him sort through things for us.  God will shed His Truth and Light on our every day matters and lead us to clarity.

My other prevailing thought in this scenario is that we as humans are wired to be hopeful.  We want to see the dolphin and the pretty sunrise.  We want to see and believe the best.  We were made for that.  God’s original intent for us was that we would only know His Truth.  We would always communicate with Him as a friend.  We would never see destruction.  We would never know death or separation or loss.  We would be living in pure, unpolluted beauty and He would be our Light.  We were made to live and never lack for hope.

Lumps of wood and artifical light are poor substitutes.  But, when we want to see the best, sometimes we can be duped by cheap imitations.  Eventually they will be found out for what they truly are.  In my commute there were no consequences to this deception.  In life, the consequences can be grave.

We need to stay close to Jesus.

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”  2 Peter 3:15

Father, help us to cling to You and Your hope.  Help us to walk in Your Truth and Light and not be deceived.  Thank You that You have wired us to look for and believe for the best.  Help us to be wise in our understanding.  Help us to have Your mind.  Help us to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.  Help us to discern, but not become suspicious or critical or judgmental.  Help us to remain as innocent children before their Daddy.  Help us to stay on the straight and narrow path which leads to life.  Help us to always enter through the narrow gate of Your will and lead us in Your ways.  We place our trust in You alone as the Shepherd of our souls.  I pray these things for Your glory and for our protection.  In Jesus name, I pray.  Amen.