Posted by Charlie on Jan 9, 2010 in
Devotions Scripture: Genesis Genesis 23, 24; Luke 9
And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.
Luke 9:17
Observation
The miraculous nature of Jesus’ ministry is presented so strongly in Luke’s gospel. Through his miracles Jesus revealed a number of very important truths about who he is.
In the Feeding of the Five Thousand, Jesus performs a creative miracle which demonstrates his deity. He starts out with a kid’s lunch, feeds five thousand men, plus women and children, and ends up with more leftovers than what he had when he he started.
Application
It’s so easy to get my perspective locked into the limited resources I have around me, and forget that Jesus is able to take the lunch roll I’ve got in my sack and turn it into something amazing. In the disciple’s case, they later argued about forgetting to bring bread, and Jesus chided them, “What’s wrong with you guys? Don’t you remember feeding the multitude? Don’t you understand?”
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for the reminder that you are God, and you are able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all I am able to ask or even imagine. I offer you the meager resources I have today and ask you to please do with them what only you can do. In your holy name, amen.
Tags: miracles, provision, resources
Posted by Charlie on Dec 19, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: John 5, 6
“Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.”
John 6:26
Observation
After the feeding of the five thousand the crowd flock to Jesus on the following day. Jesus cuts to the chase: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.”
Application
God’s motivation for the sacrificial redemption Jesus accomplished for me is his eternal love—he loves me infinitely and wants me to be in relationship with him forever. The tragic reality of humankind is that we tend to be selfish creatures. We are most interested in what we can get for ourselves. If God is passing out free bread then I want some!
What am I after today? Am I more interested in what God can do for me, or in really seeking him to know and love him for who he is? That, detective, is the right question.
Prayer
Father, thank you for your provision today. Without your generous care I would be in big trouble. But thank you most for drawing me to yourself and pouring out your love for me. Please help me to grow in your love today, and grant me the grace to know and love you more deeply. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: love, provision, selfishness
Posted by Charlie on Jun 20, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: 2 Kings 4, 5; Psalm 83; 1 Timothy 2
So Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house but a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors—empty vessels; do not gather just a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it into all those vessels, and set aside the full ones.”
2 Kings 4:2–4
Observation
Bringing something out of nothing is no big shakes for God. In Genesis 1 he begins by bringing forth the universe out of nothing, forming the earth with its seas, dry land, animals, plants, and people. Then throughout the Bible he demonstrates over and over that he never changes—he is able to bring something out of nothing today just as easily as he did at creation.
In Exodus he provided manna in sufficient quantity to feed a million people daily for forty years. In today’s reading he creates oil on the fly as the widow pours it into jars. Jesus carried on the demonstration of creative power by multiplying bread and fish.
I think where we run into trouble in our 21st century world is that we’ve been snookered by the first and second laws of thermodynamics. The first law states that energy is neither being created or destroyed, it only changes form, and that In any process, the total energy of the universe remains the same. The second law states that the form of energy runs downhill over time (entropy), with a gradual decline into disorder. A quick look at my bedroom from one day to the next would seem to validate the second law.
God, however, is the Lord of his creation, and is the master of its laws, not the subject of them. For him to create is normal and not difficult. The only restriction I see seems to be the faith of the servant, not the constraints of the laws of physics.
Application
I believe one of the biggest truths I need to grasp more and more deeply over a lifetime is that God is always the starting point of everything in life. He has always been, and I was created specifically to live in relationship with him. He has placed me on this planet to be a steward of his time, his talents, and his treasure which he entrusts to me to invest for his gain. Sometimes it means he needs to create something out of nothing for that stewardship to function, but that is not a constraint for God.
The question, then, is, “What do I have in the house?” What resource, idea, talent, or treasure do I have that God wants to multiply into a kingdom-building miracle? The second question is, “How big am I willing to believe God can multiply it?” Elisha told the widow to borrow vessels from everywhere, from all her neighbors—empty vessels, and not just a few. God was ready to pour out bountiful provision, but only as much as she had faith to accommodate with her borrowed vessels.
Prayer
God, please open my eyes to see the magnitude of what you want to do through me and my family. Please give us wisdom to recognize what we have that we need to steward, and help us to understand what our “vessels” need to be. Grant the understanding of who you are in a way that we rise up in faith to see you multiply what we have been given, and that we can see it big enough to provide for ourselves, and have an overabundance to touch the lives of many for your kingdom’s sake. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: creation, miracles, provision
Posted by Charlie on Jun 16, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: 1 Kings 17, 18, 19; Colossians 2
“And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”
1Kings 17:4
And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”
1Kings 17:7–9
So she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”
1Kings 17:12
The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.
1Kings 17:16
Observation
God is constantly in the process of teaching his children about provision. I think our tendency is to assume that we understand how God is going to provide for us, and then we get confused and discouraged when it doesn’t happen the way we think it will.
God commanded Elijah to go to the Brook Cherith, and he would drink there in spite of the drought. For a time the water in the brook lasted, and then it ceased. When the Israelites faced this scenario in the wilderness, their response was to grumble and blame God rather than to thank him for his continued provision. In Elijah’s case, God sent him to a widow in Sidon, and God told Elijah that he had commanded the widow to provide for him. It’s interesting to note that God failed to inform the widow that he had commanded her to provide for Elijah! Nevertheless, God caused supernatural provision to flow adequately through a person who seemed the least likely candidate to be a provider.
Application
The big lesson from Scripture is always that God alone is the source of my provision. That doesn’t mean I have license to sit on my hands and expect God to rain dollars from heaven. But it does mean that I am not restricted by tight economic times, or the natural resources of any organization or customer base. I’ve seen God bring provision out of left field too many times to doubt that he is my source, and he possesses all the resources of heaven. If I remain grateful and faithful as his steward, and look to his hand, not being discouraged because a particular brook has dried up, he will bring adequate provision from somewhere—perhaps the most unlikely place I can imagine.
Prayer
Father God, thank you that you care so faithfully for my needs. Please give us this day our daily bread. Please help me keep your kingdom first, knowing that you know the things I need. I thank you for your provision and look forward to seeing what you will do in these unstable times of drought to bring forth water and bread for every good work. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: provision, resources
Posted by Charlie on May 5, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: 2 Samuel 10; 1 Chronicles 19, 20; Psalm 20; Matthew 22
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
Psalm 20:7
Observation
David was well acquainted with Chariots. They provided a decided advantage to the army that possessed them, since they were armored and made it easy to cover large distances quickly with one or more archers on board. David’s large and well-trained army were assets to him, but he understood that human might is a fickle thing to trust.
Application
I’ve been feeling a bit upset this morning at the kinds of requirements government tends to place on businesses. Too often it seems like politicians and government bureaucrats think the way to stimulate more golden eggs is to kill the goose.
Psalm 20 is a strong reminder that God is greater than the oppressive ways government pressures businesses. First and foremost, God is my source, he is my defender, and he will make a way for us if I will keep him as my focus. We will trust in the name of the LORD our God.
Prayer
Father, today I place all my concerns in your hands. Please help me to be wise and faithful today, and I trust the results into your care. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: provision, trust
Posted by Charlie on Feb 27, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: Numbers 21, 22, 23; Mark 6, 7
[The disciples said to Jesus,] “Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.” But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.”
Mark 6:36–37
Observation
Many of the miracles so far in Mark are the result of people coming to Jesus and requesting his help. In this instance Jesus challenges his disciples to do something that is utterly impossible for them to accomplish. Mark tells us that there were five thousand men present. Matthew adds “…besides women and children,” which means there were overwhelming crowds. It would be like going to the county fair with Jesus and having him suggest that I feed everyone there out of my meager lunch sack.
Application
The fact that this was Jesus’ idea is important. The object lesson contained here is so essential in God’s mind, this is one of the only events that appears in all four gospel accounts. And here it is: If Jesus tells me to do something he will provide the resources to make it a reality. If all I’ve got is a sack lunch and I’m looking at a multitude it isn’t an issue for him.
So, the question becomes, what has Jesus told me to do? I can think of quite a few things (like love him, love my neighbor, love my wife, practice all the “one anothers,” do all things without complaining), but the one that pops out for me this morning is “make disciples.”
As I look at the faces of the people God has brought to Eastside and the five bran muffins I have in my discipleship bag I could feel like the task is too great to accomplish. But when Jesus tells me to do something he funds his projects. I just have to make sure I hand him the bran muffins first so he can bless them. Then the people can be fed. The end result? John 6:11 says, “And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.”
Prayer
Jesus, thank you that you have given the command to make disciples, and that you fund your projects. Thank you that in every age and every culture your Word is relevant for every aspect of life. Please bless us at Eastside as we seek to equip a people who know their God—a people who are ready for our times and fully satisfied in you. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: commands, provision
