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God Blesses Our Lack
Andrea Lende • January 13, 2021
Mark8:7-8
God Blesses Our Lack
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/God-Blesses-Our-Lack-eosvf4
Mark 8:7-8
“And they had a few small fish; and when He had praised God and given thanks and asked Him to bless them [to their use], He ordered that these also should be set before [them].”
“And they ate and were satisfied; and they took up seven [large provision] baskets full of the broken pieces left over.”
They were blessed over and over.
Of course, this is the story when Jesus fed four thousand people with seven loaves and three fish.
Although I have read about this miracle many times, I was especially blessed as I read it today.
The Word says that Jesus had pity on the people.
He said, “My heart goes out to them, for they have been with Me now three days and have nothing [left to eat].”
He blessed the little He had.
He praised God.
He gave thanks.
And the Lord provided more than enough to feed four thousand people!
There were seven baskets left over!
It truly blessed me to know that Jesus didn’t see the lack.
He saw their need.
He filled their need by offering thanksgiving and praise to the Lord.
Then He blessed the food that was available.
I imagine Him in heaven looking at my circumstances.
I imagine Him looking down on me with great compassion.
I imagine Him seeing my needs before I even express them.
The people gathered around Jesus weren’t begging Him for food.
No one asked for anything.
They just wanted to be in His presence.
They were completely blessed being with Him and listening to His teaching.
And in sitting and listening to Him, they were fed.
They were fed both spiritually and physically.
We know He didn’t send them away hungry.
He went beyond meeting their needs for there was food left over.
Our passage today spoke to the depths of my heart.
It truly blessed me as I read it.
The Lord sees our needs.
As we spend time with Him, He feeds our souls.
He also provides for our physical needs.
He will make more than enough even out of our lack.
Today I choose to sit with the Lord and be blessed both spiritually and physically as He tends to my needs in every way.
May you find the Lord is already making plans to bless you in so many ways and that He is working in every circumstance of your life.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for Your blessed Word. Thank You for blessing me every time I read about You, Your Son, and all You do and are. Thank You for showing me that You bless all Your people with more than enough. You see our needs before we even ask. As we spend time in Your presence You bless our hearts and then You have a plan to work out every circumstance in our lives. Help me see You work Lord. Don’t let me miss You. I have cause to praise You and worship You as I watch You work. You have always been the God of miracles and still are. You astound me, Father. You are wonderful and great and greatly to be praised! Your heart, Lord, is for me. Your heart is to care for me. Thank You for loving me beyond all understanding. Thank You for loving me past my faults and failures. Thank You for choosing me to be Yours. Keep me Yours, Lord. No matter what is happening in this unsettled world, keep me Yours. Help me bless someone this day. Thank You for hearing my prayer.
Answer: I AM with you, My child, and I will always take care of you.
Response: Thank You, most gracious God and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.