Thought for August 1, 2024

•  1774: Oxygen discovered
• 1781: Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown
• 1831: London Bridge opens
• 1834: Slavery Abolition Act comes into effect banning slavery in British Empire
• 1900: First Michelin Guide published
• 1927: First recording by the Carter Family
• 1936: Hitler opens the Berlin Olympics
• 1941: First Jeep produced
• 1944: Anne Frank's last diary entry
• 1946: Atomic Energy Commission established
• 1972: Woodward & Bernstein's first Watergate article published
• 1996: George RR Martin publishes "A Game of Thrones"
• 2007: I-35  bridge over the Mississippi in Minneapolis collapses
• 2023: Donald Trump indicted on charge of preventing the peaceful transfer of power
• Born: Claudius, William Clark, Herman Melville, Jerry Garcia, Jack Kramer, 
• Died: Mark Antony, Anne Stuart, Calamity Jane, Francis Gary Powers, Corazon Aquino, 

Thought:

In the middle of Mark six is the story of the feeding of 5,000 men plus the women and children. We have read this story many times and it is recorded in all four gospels. Must be important. Reading Mark's account again today, several things caught my attention:

• Jesus got there ahead of them [6:33]. The crowds had been looking for Him. They saw the boat going to a lonely place and headed in that direction, but He got there ahead of them. I have to say that the lonely place suddenly was not so lonely--from Jesus and the apostles to a crowd of 10,000+. But what hit me today was that Jesus got there first. As I go through my life, Jesus goes ahead of me. He has already seen the future, He knows what I will face today and every day. He is like the Shepherd going before His sheep, not driving the sheep, leading the sheep. Doesn't that give you great comfort--Jesus is going before you into today and every day. 
• Jesus has compassion. He sees us in our need. He sees us in our pain, confusion, doubt, fear. And He has compassion. But praise God, He not only feels for us, He does something about it. He saw the people like sheep without a shepherd, so He tells them to sit down and listen. Then to demonstrate that His teaching is with authority, He feeds them all. Read the 23rd Psalm again and picture the feeding of the people. He leads in green pastures and prepares a table before me. 
• If we are followers of Jesus, we join Him in His mission. So, rather than sending people away, Jesus tells His disciples to feed them. And just like us, the disciples must have had a million excuses. There are too many. There is no place to even buy the food. There is not enough money to feed them. A couple of days ago, I wrote about the fact that when Jesus calls and sends, He gives authority and supplies our needs. Remember these are the same apostles that He sent out with no money, no supplies. they are the same disciples that had just sat down to report on how they had not lacked for anything as they taught and healed. But suddenly, we don't, we can't became their response. 
• Then that question from the Master--what do you have? How many loaves do you have? I need to hear this. Larry, do not focus on what you do not have, focus on what the Lord has provided. If He is sufficient, then you have enough to obey. 
• He provides, the apostles distribute. WOW! He provides, all I have to do is distribute what He provides. He provides the gospel, I distribute. He provides the love, I distribute, He provides the joy, I spread the joy. He provides the peace, I become a peacemaker. 
• When He provides and I distribute--people are fed, people are satisfied, and there is plenty left over. For He gives exceedingly, abundantly more than we can ask or even think. 

This is really food for me this morning. 

Blessings

Larry