In my quiet time this morning I read Luke 9. Part of this chapter recounts the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand. In this incident, Jesus tries to withdraw with His disciples to be alone but the crowds follow Him and He heals and teaches about the Kingdom of God. This takes some time and it is getting late in the day, so the disciples come to Jesus and tell Him to send the crowds away so that they can get food and lodging. I love Jesus’ response in verse 13. He says: “You give them something to eat.” To which the disciples quickly replied: “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.”
This simple verse that I have read many many times impacted me afresh and anew today. I felt God was giving me the 2X4 treatment today and saying to me: “Why do you doubt Me? Why do you doubt My power when I tell you: ‘You give them something to eat’?” I KNOW that I respond like the disciples did WAY too much. I respond by saying things like: “But . . . we don’t have enough money”, “But . . . I am not gifted in that area”, “But . . . I would have to give up something to do that”, “But . . .”, “But . . .”, “But . . .”, etc. It is TOO easy for me to forget the power of God. It is TOO easy for me to focus on what I can do and forget what God can do. I want to step out in faith with God and I know that means putting aside my “but’s“. I have to continually remember that God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). God took what the disciples thought was limited and multiplied it abundantly beyond what they could have ever imagined and He wants to do the same with us!
What “but’s” do you need to put aside in order to step out in faith with God?
A Few Related Posts You May Find Useful:
Sermon Synopsis 9/2 – Trusting God
The attitude of service
A prayer for 2008
Oh ye of little faith . . .
Sermon Synopsis 8/17 – How do we by faith climb out of the dip?
Sermon Synopsis 11/2 – Going back in order to go forward
Sermon Synopsis 12/14 – Go the Next Step to Develop a Rule of Life
Sermon Synopsis 2/1 – Jonah Chapter Three
