My Bible reading now is in the New Testament. While my boys are at school and whenever my younger daughter had her nap, that's the time I read the Bible or during the night when children are already asleep.
I started last week reading the book of Matthew. I've been reading this book several times and almost memorized all the stories. But the Lord is good, His revelations is always fresh and new for me. In Matthew 15: 29-39, God revealed to me new things.
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
29Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down.
30Great
crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the
mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.
31The
people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made
well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of
Israel.
32Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I
have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three
days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or
they may collapse on the way.”
33His disciples answered, “Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?”
34“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
“Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”
35He told the crowd to sit down on the ground.
36Then
he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he
broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the
people.
37They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
38The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children.
39After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.
My eyes was opened in the verse 32. I 've examined what Jesus said.
"I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. " I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way".
From this verse, I want to share the new things I've learned.
1. God's love is proven. The act of calling His disciples to look for food showed His great love and compassion for these people. Oh, how great is His love towards us!
2. Jesus is our satisfaction. Yes, the people were there to be healed and witnessed the miracle of Jesus, but they were there also to just experience Jesus. For three days, Jesus satisfied them. It did not stated in the verse if the people were hungry during the time Jesus was ministering to them. It's just a proof that the people were satisfied by simply being in the presence of Jesus.
3. Separation = starvation. After three days, the people will have to go home. They will leave the presence of Jesus. Being away with His presence means hunger and starvation. For three days they were contented and filled. Filled with His love, goodness and care. Oh, how I love to be in His presence, for in His presence is fullness of joy.
4. God always made a way. In the story, the people did not ask for food. It was Jesus who took the initiative to feed them. Jesus doesn't want to send them away hungry. Jesus doesn't want these people to perish. In this act of Jesus, I was reminded of God's love towards us from the beginning. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, still God showed His grace to them by killing an animal to cover their naked bodies. Many times the Israelite people disobeyed and provoked God to anger, yet we cannot count how many times God had forgiven them and showed His mercy and love for them. God made a way by giving His Son Jesus Christ who died on the cross for all our sins.
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me.
John 14:6
I thank the Lord for giving me new revelations of His Word. He fed the 4,000 and He fed me too! Now I am more excited to open my Bible and be amazed again for the new things I will learn from Him. Praise the Lord!!
