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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Calm (emotionally) (09/13/07)
Bring It to Me and Sit Down

Matthew 14:18-19 KJV He said, Bring them hither to Me. And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, He blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

Jesus was teaching the multitudes and the disciples were enjoying being with Him. As He taught they listened. No one had thought about the time. Just being with Him must have been serene and tranquil. As the day progressed the people began to get restless and hungry. The calmness of the disciples suddenly began to feel more like anxiety. There they were in a desert place and thousands were hungry.

A hungry crowd looking to them for food turned calm into chaos for the disciples. Can you imagine the disciples scampering around trying to figure out how on earth they were going to feed all those people? They were fearful and worried. Maybe Jesus watched them for a bit, probably shook His head, and said, “Bring what you have to Me, and then sit down”. Then Jesus did exactly what the disciples should have done to begin with. He looked to heaven. He prayed. He unleashed the power of heaven and solved the problem.

The disciples were faced with what looked to them to be an insurmountable task. To all earthly appearances it would have been impossible to feed all those people. Don’t we all face problems like this in our lives? Just because we are Christians doesn’t mean that we won’t face problems.

And we, like the disciples loose our cool and begin to worry. We experience sleepless nights trying to figure out how on earth we are going to fix this problem. Jesus has a solution for us. He tells us to bring it to Him and sit down. Let Him work. Expect Him to answer your prayers. Pray first and then sit down. Pray knowing that He is God. Settle down, calm down and trust Him.

Our job is to be still, calm down and stop trying to solve problems that we do not have the power to solve. Follow His example and look to heaven first. Pray expecting an answer. Sit down and wait for your answer, it will come.

Dear Lord we know that You are always right beside us. Help us to look to You first and follow Your leading. In Jesus Holy and Precious Name, Amen
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Peter Stone
09/22/07
Good points. We do always need to remember to change our reactions to pray first instead of panicking or worrying first.
Sheri Gordon
09/24/07
A lovely devotional. I especially liked these lines:

Follow His example and look to heaven first. Pray expecting an answer.

Good reminder for all of us.
christine bastow
09/25/07
How true. A good devotional and well done.
c clemons
09/26/07
I like the point you were trying to make. After you first quoted scripture correctly, you then misquoted it by saying he told the disciples to sit down. He did not disperse the food the disciples did. We can give it to Him (our cares), but he still requires action on our part. When writing a devotional the scripture cannot be manipulated to make our point. The reader has to know if they were to look this up it would read just as you told it. Keep writing, good skills.
Jacquelyn Horne
09/26/07
Very good advice here.
Joanne Sher 
09/28/07
Congratulations, Angela. Your entry has placed 14th in Level 2. The Lists for the Top 15 in each Level and the Top 40 overall are available in the Weekly Results and Highest Rankings forum of our Faithwriters Message Boards.