Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video of Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing … Your Grace Still Amazes Me … poignantly singing of how God’s amazing grace will ALWAYS be amazing to us … no matter what we confront in life.
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Highlight Verse[s]: Matthew 14:16 [NLT] … 15 That evening 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 food for themselves.”
… 16 But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary—you feed them.”
… There were over 5000 to be fed that day, … way beyond the means of His disciples.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Matthew 14:13-21 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus extends the faith of His disciples by feeding over 5000 with just a few loaves and fishes.
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Reference Passage : … John 6:1-14 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… The Apostle John’s account of the feeding of the 5000 (and many more).
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, David H Roper, used the story of the feeding of the 5000+ in all the Gospels to illustrate that we can do more with our faith to help others than we think we can. … The ODB author wrote: A young boy came home from church and announced with great excitement that the lesson had been about a boy who “loafed and fished all day.” He, of course, was thinking of the little boy who offered his loaves and fish to Jesus. Jesus had been teaching the crowds all day, and the disciples suggested He send them into the village to buy bread. Jesus replied, “You give them something to eat” (Matthew 14:16). The disciples were perplexed for there were more than 5,000 to be fed! [See photo]
How many times do we have situations we confront where we can easily see that there are the needs of others which need to be addressed; but we often balk at doing something, don’t we, because we assume the solution is beyond our abilities? That’s what Jesus’ disciples dealt with when they were confronted by the multitude of hungry people, over 5000, following Jesus that day, … an account in Scripture covered in all four of the Gospels [including the two accounts linked above].
And every time I confront any of those passages I’m convicted that I need to do more to reach out in faith and do more for others, … especially since I know - and believe - that any calling on my personhood from God’s Spirit to help others will be met with something I CAN do, … in faith, … to help in some way.
So, I’m praying today that I’ll be alert to the Spirit’s calling to help someone - in some way - … maybe with a just a smile … or a hug … or something more substantial. But something which will show God’s love to someone else.
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My THANKFULNESS: … Oh Abba Father, … thank You, Lord, … for being able to help others in some way to reflect Your love and grace … possibly even today.
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My Prayer Today: Oh Abba Father, … King Jesus, … I pray, Lord, that all reading here can, and will, join me to watch for ways to “feed” the needs of others today. … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled “Our Daily Bread,” distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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