Hey Boy, where you going with that fish in your hand?

 

Wake the Faith up Slayer… This is Garth Heckman with the David Alliance and you can reach me at

TDAgiantslayer@gmail.com 

 

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July 9th - Saturday - A Father Daughter/Son conference called PROTECTOR! Speakers on how to protect your son and daughter Emotionally, physically, sexually, socially and spiritually. Ages 10 and up if you feel your student is mature enough. Price $100 per family. At HillSpring Church New prague south of the Twin Cities

Just landed a speaker who will challenge you how to keep your kids safe from human trafficking… you say well my kid will never fall into that… oh not so fast. You obviously don’t know what you are talking about… so get ready to sign up!

 

 

Matthew 14 and John 6: 5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

 

Jesus asked the disciples “Where we gonna buy bread for all these people” - and it was a test. He wanted the disciples not only to recognize the need but to also realize that Jesus was putting it on them to meet the need. Jesus shows the need, he points it out, he brings it to our attention so that we might say… uh, I don’t have a clue. In a way it brings clarity to the fact that if God don’t show up, it aint happening!

I got needs in my life that if God don’t show up it aint happening… I can lament all I want or I can just level up and say - yep, I need God.

 

And what’s crazy is that Jesus asked the disciples and the text tells us that he already knew what he was going to do. Uhm, hello - that should be the mic drop right there. I go to God with my unbelievable problem that I can’t even comprehend the solution… knowing that he already knows the answer… get it. I don’t know the answer, and I can’t figure it out… he even pointed it out to me… maybe put an exclamation point on it and a bow for good measure… but he already knows the answer. I took my boys and daughter in law to the NF concert. It was open seating and it was about 5k people. At the time he said it was the biggest concert he had ever had… my kids were looking at me like wow, this line is forever… lets make the best of it, but alas I told them to follow me. I knew the concert promoter, we went around back, I texted her “I’m here” and she came out and led us up to box seats looking directly on the stage. Dad already had the answer. 

 

now we know that this was hardly enough food for even one man at this point. Because it was the lunch for a small boy. I would think that the disciples were probably telling themselves, “well at least we have food for Jesus… I mean, he has been doing all the work”. But it wasn’t just for Jesus… in fact for a man it would have been a nice snack after walking and working and ministering all day… but not enough for the crowd of thousands. But Jesus did not see the need he saw the provision. Jesus did not see the problem he saw the promise. 

Here is a great insight… Jesus starts out by talking about solving the problem with money. “hey where we going to buy enough food for these people”. Everyone was thinking the solution had to come from one resource - that being money. Jesus again shows us how limited that thinking is. Because he does not use money… he uses what we have. You say I don’t have money or this or that… thats cool, Jesus will use something else to test you and help you pass the test. 

 

But here is the most interesting part of this story… he does not wait until after the miracle to say thank you. And in fact some translations use the word blessed - he blessed it, like it was a magic spell. But the word truly means saying thank you for the solution, thank you for what I have.… its just enough in the hands of God. And after thanking God for what he had….

Wait wait wait… he is thanking God for the problem, starving people, he is thanking God for not enough food, he is thanking God in the middle of the disciples doubt and questions..

he is thanking God before there is any talk of reaping all the leftover bread and fishes… he thanks God for the little he has in faith knowing in Gods hands it is enough to meet the need.

Now what you might really miss is this… there are 12 baskets left over. How many disciples are there?

Not only did Jesus bless the food, he then put it in the hands of the disciples to pass out… and in their hands they sowed the loaves and fishes into the needs of those in the crowd and they in turn reaped a full basket back.

I see a need, I thank God in advance for that test, I thank God for the provision he has given me (even though it may not seem like enough)… even though it may not actually be enough, I bless others with it… and I in turn reap more than I had ever expected in my own life. 

3 things

Thank God for your problems

Thank God for knowing the answer in advance

And thank God for the little that you have and sow it!