Good morning, brothers and sisters.
Our verse for today comes from Matthew 16:9-10, “Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered?”
Sometimes it can be very difficult to get your message across, can’t it? Language barriers, generation gaps, and even technology can hinder what appears to be a simple conversation from happening successfully. And if you are raising kids, or have raised kids, or have been a kid yourself, then you are aware first hand of what simple instructions can turn into when they hit the ears of a child. So when we see Jesus dealing with the challenge of getting through to His disciples, we should remember that these men, from various backgrounds that don’t include rabbinical instruction for ministry in the synagogue, are just a couple years old in their faith. And even though they have been training under the direct guidance of Jesus, they seem to go back and forth between understanding what He’s teaching and being as dense as a log. But you would think that after He’d fed thousands of men, plus women and children, with a few fish and some loaves of bread – twice – that the disciples would be able to stop worrying about food or feeding the crowds that were following them.
But we do the same things, don’t we? We see God be faithful to us again and again, and we still wrestle with doubt and anxiety the next time the situation rolls around. We look back and realize how much more God has done than we’ve asked or thanked Him for, but when we look forward, we still think we’re going at it alone. Or we’ll hear Jesus tell us to beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, and we’ll think He’s talking about us forgetting the bread. I can’t say that I know why God put some things in His Word only once, and other things are mentioned several times. But I do know that His mentioning them more often doesn’t make them any more true. If He’s said it, then it’s gospel. So if you continue to wrestle with the same doubts and worries, go back to Him and remember what He’s said and done. Be reminded who He is, and what He is. And believe what He said he would do.
As we seek Him today, ask God to encourage you where you continue to doubt. Ask Him to remind you of His faithfulness, and decide to live your day on faith.
Have a great Monday.
#4 Rich Holt
Dad of Ripken, Koy, TrishaJean, Samantha, Kakie Holiday and Raleigh
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.
