Devotionals

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A few days ago I opened my Bible to the eighth chapter of the book of Mark and began to read about Jesus multiplying the loaves and fishes for the crowd of four thousand people who had come to listen to Him preach. Many of them had come a long way to see Jesus and they had been with Him for three days. Their food supply was almost completely depleated. Jesus knew that if He sent them away without food, many would faint along the way back to their homes. They were in a desperate situation. The Amplified Bible says in verse four that they were in a desolate and unihabited region. There was nowhere close by for them to get food. It's not like they could stop at the McDonalds down the street.

This crowd of people were seeking spiritual food and in the meantime their physical food was diminishing. Jesus took the seven loaves of bread and the few small fish they had left, gave thanks and multipled them and fed all the people and there were seven baskets full of broken pieces left over. This crowd not only got the spiritual food they needed but Jesus made sure their physical needs were met as well. The disciples had witnessed a miracle right before their very eyes.

Shortly after, the disciples and Jesus got into a boat and departed. The disciples had forgotten to bring bread with them except for one loaf. Jesus said to them, "...Look out; keep on your guard and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod and the Herodians." (See Mark 8:15 Amp.) The disciples thought Jesus had said this because they had no bread. Jesus was aware of what they were saying and He said to them, "Why are you reasoning and saying it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet discern or understand? Are your hearts in a settled state of hardness? Having eyes, do you not see with them, and having ears, do you not hear and perceive and understand the sense of what is said? And do you not remember?". (See Mark 8:16-18 Amp.) Jesus goes on to remind them of how He multiplied the loaves and fishes for the five thousand and then again for the crowd of four thousand.

The disciples were thinking with their carnel minds, merely concerned with the fact that they didn't have enough physical bread to nourish their bodies. They were so caught up with their physical needs that they couldn't discern that Jesus was talking about there spiritual needs. What is so completely amazing to me is how quickly they forgot the miracle that Jesus had just performed before their very eyes. He had just fed a crowd of four thousand people with a few loaves of bread and a few small fish. If they had need of more bread Jesus could have easily provided it.

That brings us to you and me. How many times do we see Jesus do something awesome in our lives and then when the next trial comes along, we panic? How quickly we forget. We begin to focus on the trial and take our eyes off of the One who can bring us whatever it is we need. We get focused on our physical needs and forget about our spiritual needs. We would do well to purposely stir up our remembrance of the many times God has miraculously provided for us, and know that if He did it once, He will do it again. We need not worry about these things. God will provide. Our job is to guard ourselves against becoming hard of heart and spiritually hard of hearing and God will take care of the rest.

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