Gleanings for March 9

FEEDING THE MULTITUDES

 

               2nd Kings 4: 43b & 44 NKJV:  “He said, “Give it to the people that they may eat; for thus says the Lord, They shall eat and have some left over.”  So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the Lord.”

              John 6: 13 NKJV:  “Therefore they gathered the fragments, and filled twelve baskets with the barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.”

 

             Apart from the Resurrection, the feeding of the 5000 is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels.  Similar to that is an Old Testament happening which took place during the time of Elisha. I had forgotten about that particular miracle recorded in the Old Testament until studying for this devotional.  It’s good to KEEP learning!!

 

              Verses 5 & 6 from the 6th Chapter of John stood out to me; Jesus asked Philip, “Where shall we buy bread that these may eat.”  Then verse 6:  “But He said this to TEST him for He Himself knew what He would do.”

             Strong’s Concordance gives this definition for the word “test”:  “To explore, test, try, assay, examine, prove, attempt, tempt.  The word describes the testing of the believer’s loyalty, strength, opinions, disposition, condition, faith, patience or character.  To test determines which way one is going and what one is made of!

             Jesus knew what He was going to do but wanted to find out how much Philip had grown.  The power of God was available for the disciples to lay hold of, as well as it was for Jesus, the Holy Spirit was His power, too, while He was on earth. 

 

              The question comes to you and me—as we spend this time: “Looking to Jesus”:  What would you and I have answered had we been asked that question by Jesus?  Would our faith have passed the test?  It is God’s desire for us to GROW UP after we have made Jesus our Lord.  He wants us to think “outside the box” (as the expression goes).  It means that we dare to step out in faith when we know a task must be done—even when in the natural it may be an impossible situation.

 

              A truth from my Bible says:  “Faith is, in essence, taking God at His Word and His Word at FACE VALUE.  God has limitless supply of resources for all who trust in and obey Him.  Fearing that we will not have enough in times of need INSULTS the God who has revealed Himself as Jehovah Jireh—the Lord Our Provider!”

 

              The word for “test” can mean “tempt” as we saw in the definition.  I assure you that God will NEVER “tempt” anyone---the devil is the “tempter”—our God is a REDEEMER and He will never even allow Satan to tempt us “beyond what we are able but will make the way of escape.”  1st Corinthians 10: 13.

 

            Read John 6: 1 – 14, and II Kings 4: 42 – 44-- you will be blessed as you do and it should help you to know:

 

THE JOY OF THE LORD IS YOUR STRENGTH!!