Today’s Podcast
Today’s Bible reading plan:
Read it in a year – Exodus 1-4
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Matthew 14:18
Jesus: Bring the bread and the fish to Me.
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
Simple words, but they pack a powerful punch if you really stop and think about them.
The disciples had come to Jesus with a problem. Five thousand men and the women and children that accompanied them gathered on the hillside to listen to Jesus one day. He had preached, healed, taught from the scriptures, ministered to their needs, blessed them. It had been an extraordinary day. But now it late and the people needed food. In yesterday’s podcast we talked about the expectations we should have we walk the path with Jesus. Expect the unexpected. Expect to work. Expect to help people. And expect miracles.
Easy, right? We’re His followers. We understand these expectations and we get to the task. We work hard for Him. We spend days and nights at church. We feed the poor. We give our tithe. We sing in the choir and teach Sunday School classes. We get really busy doing the right things for the kingdom. But we just don’t see many results. The altars are empty. We don’t see many seeking Christ. No one seems to see the necessity of following Christ, but instead walk away as broken and lost as when they came.
What went wrong?
I think the answer can often be found in these simple words. After Jesus told the disciples to feed the crowd, they admitted they just didn’t have what it takes. "All we have are five tortillas (I live in Texas) and two sardines. What is that going to do for such a big crowd? That’s a boy’s lunch, not a feast for 20,000.
Do we ever admit that we don’t have what it takes? Quite frankly, that’s part of the problem with the services’ PTSD problems. PTSD is real, but in the service, you’re taught to be tough. We’re a team and can’t let each other down. We have to stay tough and ready to fight. Surely this nightmare thing isn’t happening to me. PTSD is something that happens to someone else, so we slough it off. But the longer the problem persists the harder it is to treat. We have a hard time recognizing that about the same number of people that will get a cold in their lifetime will have a mental illness in their lifetime. I’m not talking about schizophrenia or manic-depressive disorder or things that will hospitalize you for weeks. Colds don’t hospitalize most people for weeks either. But most people will experience depression some time in their life. Out of control anger or grief. Mental and emotional issues that they need help fixing. Just like you need help with a cold or the flu.
So we don’t admit that we can’t handle the problem. We don’t admit that a task is too hard for us without God’s help. We plow in headstrong and find ourselves with mild concussions after beating our head against that wall that just won’t budge. Still we don’t come to the source of power. We keep trying to plow through.
Remember the story of Moses and the flaming bush that wasn’t consumed by the fire? Remember how Moses argued with God about his ability to lead the Israelites and convince Pharaoh and his counselors to let the Israelites leave the country? God asked Moses what he had in his hand. When Moses answered, “A staff.” God told him to throw it on the ground and it became a snake. That staff became a symbol of the presence of God to the people of Israel because Moses had given it to God and God changed it and gave it back to him.
Elijah did the same with the widow he ask to feed him. Elisha did it with the jar of oil. And now Jesus does the same with His disciples. Give me what you have. I know you don’t have what it takes to do the job I’ve asked you to do. I’ve done that on purpose. I want you to know you didn’t make this happen, I did. So give me what you have and then do the work with what you gave Me. I’ll make your inadequacy adequate. I’ll make your incapability capable. I’ll make your lack abundant.
So what roadblocks have you found in working for Jesus? Is it because you are trying to spread those five tortillas and two fish around all by yourself? You can’t do it. You’re not God. He has creative power. He can multiply them when you give them to Him. All you can do is deliver the pieces when He gives them back to you. You can’t do more than that, but you shouldn’t do less.
Jesus says to us today, take what you have and give it to Me. Then watch what I will help you do with it. You’ll be in awe and those around you will, too. Give what you have to Me then get ready to work because God things are about to happen.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.