Yesterday we saw how Jesus responded to the wicked Herod.
Today we will look at how He treated the multitudes. Most certainly grieved when He heard of the murder of John the Baptist, Jesus withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place for much needed rest and reflection. But the crowds would not leave Him alone following him on foot. So when He landed he saw a large crowd. v. 14 tells us He had compassion on them and healed their sick. We also see in vv. 15 and 16 that, unlike the disciples, He had compassion on them because they were hungry. We must always remember that Jesus cares! As far as I can tell the people in this crowd were not particularly good or moral or spiritual. They were just masses of people who were curious about Jesus. Remember as you go through life, that everyone you meet or hear about is someone that Jesus died for, and He has compassion on their soul. We should strive to be the same way.
Then we come to the famous miracle in which Jesus multiplies the five loaves and two fish. The disciples saw a problem and really didn't anticipate a miracle. Perhaps they were much like we are today. Instead of expecting God to work, we respond with "Send them away"!
The brilliant and practical Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, New Testament, Vol. 1, pp. 50-51, gives these steps from this incident to help us solve life's problems. I love this!
- "Start with what you have." The boy had a lunch, and he was willing to give it up. When we're willing, God will use what we have.
- "Give what you have to Jesus." God can take a little and make it into much! And He's still in this business today!
- "Obey what He commands." What God produced, the disciples shared. "As His servants, we are 'distributors,' not 'manufacturers.'" And I might add, we are not "storehouses." What God gives us is to be used in His service.
- "Conserve the results." When this was over, the boy and the disciples had more--a lot more--than when they started. But they carefully collected the leftovers so that nothing was wasted. We are responsible to be good stewards of God's blessings. Perhaps the boy took a special surprise home to his mother!
Psalm 108
This is a psalm of praise and prayer. These two should always go together. David vows to praise God, "My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul...I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples." A vow is a decision, a choice. We must not wait until we feel like praising. We must make the deliberate decision to be a praising person. After all, God is good and faithful and loving all the time! vv. 1-5
Then he (David) prays that God will help them and save them from their enemies. Actually, he prays for victory, not just survival. This is a good lesson for us too. "With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies." v. 13
For our meditation: "I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies." Psalm 108: 3-4
Here is a link to a worship song from Psalm 108:1-5 that you might like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYSyt6uOGyA
No comments:
Post a Comment