Check Out Your Cupboard
In Mark 6:31 Jesus recognized that his apostles were getting worn out from ministering to so many people so he said "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." I think the Lord is still saying that to us today. He recognizes our humanity and our need for rest and relaxation. The King James Version reads that Jesus told them to "come apart," Someone has said we need to "come apart" before we "fall apart." We need to get by ourselves with Jesus so we will be better equipped to do the job He has asked us to do. But not only that, I think we need rest and relaxation in order to lead a balanced life.
At this juncture the apostles really didn't have a chance to do that because the crowds figured out where they were going and beat them to the place. They were waiting to be ministered to by the time the apostles and Jesus reached their destination. Jesus had compassion on them and began to teach them.
It got late in the day and as it was a remote place there was no place to buy food. So the disciples asked Jesus to send the crowd away. Instead Jesus told them to feed the crowd. You know the rest of the story. Jesus took five loaves and two fish and fed at least 15,000 people. Only the number of men is given -- 5,000. But it is reasonable to think there were women and children in the crowd too.
Several phrases of this Scripture portion stand out to me. "It was late." "This is a remote place." "It is already very late." And then what Jesus told the apostles. "Go and see."
For many people in the world it is late and for some it is very late. They are in a remote place spiritually. And the Lord tells us to feed them. Like the apostles, we might feel that we have nothing to give them. Notice that Jesus didn't create something out of nothing. He took the little they had and multiplied it, but first they had to go and see what they did have. The Lord is able to take what we consider little and insignificant in our lives and multiply it to meet the needs of those for whom it is very late and are in remote places (not geographically).
But first we have to recognize that we have. Natural food in scripture represents spiritual food: The Word of God. You might feel that you need to go to Bible College or study the Bible for years before you have anything to give out. But that is not the case. Proverbs 25:11 says "A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." A word!! Jesus said there is a blessing in giving a cup of cold water. Matt. 10:42. He doesn't expect us to prepare a whole banquet. Just to give whatever we have: a word here, a drink of spiritual water there. Share your testimony.
The widow in 2 Kings 4 went to Elisha with her need and he asked her what she had in her house. Her first answer was "nothing." And on second thought she said she had a little oil. That was all it took for God to multiply it and supply her need.
The Lord can take the little that we have and feed a hungry world and meet their spiritual needs. We just have to go and see what we have and present it to the Lord so he can multiply it. Check out your spiritual cupboard today!
Tomorrows Bible Reading - Genesis 37, Mark 7, Job 3, Romans 7
God is good all the time,
Naomi Brinkman
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