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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Don’t You Understand?





Mark 8:33, “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” (NLT)

Sometimes I think we forget just who it is that we serve. I think we forget how magnificent, and powerful, and faithful, our God is. The following scripture is a historical account that depicts the greatness and faithfulness of our Jesus…let’s take a journey through the Word. “Father, as others read this, may your Word be alive and active in them.”

In Mark chapter 6:30-44, we see an account of how Jesus took two fish, and fives loaves of bread and miraculously fed 5,000 people.

Two chapters later we see the same thing happen AGAIN. Mark 8:1-3 says this: "About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them, 'I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance.'"

Now, just having seen Jesus feed 5,000, you would think the disciples would respond with great faith and expectation, eagerly anticipating how Jesus is going to handle this current situation! Instead, their response is this, “His disciples replied, ‘How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?’” (verse 4).

As I read this, I thought, you have got to be kidding me!
Did the disciples just totally forget how Jesus had previously fed 5,000?!

Jesus, very graciously, took the seven loaves, and a couple of fish, and miraculously fed this large group as well. “They ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. There were about 4,000 people in the crowd that day, and Jesus sent them home after they had eaten. Immediately after this, he got into a boat with his disciples and crossed over to the region of Dalmanutha” (Mark 8:8-10).

Now hang with me here, I’ve got one more Biblical account that I want to share….so, Jesus and the disciples get in this boat and they head off for the other side of the lake. Mark 8 continues, “But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food.” (
Oh my, not again!
) They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.” At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread (verses 14-16).

This time Jesus responded with “you’ve got to be kidding me!” Read on…

“Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear? Don’t you remember anything at all? When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?”

“Twelve,” they said.

“And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”

“Seven,” they said.

“Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them (verses 17-21).

As I read all of this, it’s easy for me to say, “you crazy disciples…how could you not see?” However, I would never say that, because I’ve seen a similar pattern in my own life. I too forget what God has done for me. For instance, every time He calls me to step out in a new way for Him, I panic. I too have a crisis of belief, even though every time previously He has been faithful to me. I don’t want to forget! I want to remember His faithful ways. I want to remember how He proved himself faithful in Bible days as we see in the above account, and I want to remember how He daily proves himself faithful in my life. I want to approach every situation with faith, not fear, knowing that He’s brought me through before, and He’ll do it again!

Later in Mark 8, Jesus tells Peter, “You are seeing things from merely a human point of view, not from God’s”.

I think that we often get caught in that trap. We see things from our perspective, and not God’s. “You have eyes, can’t you see?”


Dear Lord,  let us not forget how great and faithful You are. Help us remember WhoYou are and How You’ve met our needs. Let us learn the lessons that You have for us today, so that we can grow on to full maturity in Christ. Let us know the truth that nothing is impossible with You, our great and faithful God. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.


 

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