MORNING DEVOTION- "O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee..." (Psalm 63:1)
Scripture Reading: Matthew 14:13-21
When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist He departed to a desert place. Once again we find Jesus retiring from the multitudes to spend time alone. While He traveled by ship, the people, eager to be with Jesus, followed after Him on foot. They pursued Him, and His compassions did not fail. He came out to meet them, and He helped them, healed them, and fed them. "And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick" (v.14).
Jesus looked upon the multitude with compassion, but His disciples looked at the crowds with concern. The hour was getting late, and the disciples thought it best for the people to go home, but Jesus wasn't about to let them go away empty-handed. "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat" (Matthew 14:16). The crowds came with their sights fixed on Jesus, knowing He could supply their need, and Jesus, the Good Shepherd, had compassion on them. The disciples however did not pity the people as Jesus did. Their eyes were fixed on their circumstances rather than Jesus. They saw an impossible situation, rather than all-sufficient Savior and Provider. Jesus saw a teachable moment, so He called the people to Himself, asked them to sit down, blessed the food, thanking His Father in heaven for the portion He had provided, and gave it to His disciples to distribute to the people. "So they all ate and were filled" (v.20a). And if that lesson wasn't enough to feed on for the day, the disciples gathered up twelve baskets more as a further lesson of the Lord's infinite, abundant, and overflowing supply for those who are His ministers and messengers in the world. "And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).
Heavenly Father,
"Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
Because of [Your] great love I am not consumed,
for [Your] compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness.
I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for Him."
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in Him,
to the one who seeks Him;
it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD."
(Lamentations 3:21-26)
Thank You for my daily bread that
You so graciously and generously provide for me each day.
In Jesus' Name. Amen.
The portion the Lord placed in the disciples hands seemed too little compared to the multitudes of hungry people, but the disciples obeyed their Teacher never-the-less, and they were rewarded, as they took what little they had been given and shared it with those the Lord had placed in their care. How strangely, yet wonderfully higher the law of God's kingdom is - that in the giving away the supply is actually increased, rather than used up. "Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance" (Matthew 13:12a). What blessings abound when we trust our tiny offerings to His infinite, all-sufficient, all-powerful hands. How fully satisfied we are when we feast on the portion He has placed on our plate each day. Let us offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the portion He has prepared for us and entrusted to us today; receiving with gratitude what has so graciously come from His compassionate and tender hands, and willingly and obediently sharing with others so the portion will be substantially multiplied and the multitudes sufficiently fed. "Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants of His household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions" (Matthew 24:45-47)
AFTERNOON DEVOTION -"Evening, and morning, and noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and He shall hear my voice" (Psalm 55:17, KJV).
Scripture Reading: John 6:22-35
Jesus had fed the people, and they were full. They followed after Him, not because they desired Him, but because they wanted more of what He could give them. "...you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled" (v.26). Jesus had so much to offer them. He could give them eternal satisfaction for their souls, but the people just wanted what could satisfy their stomachs temporarily. They saw Him as the One who could supply their physical needs, but their eyes were blinded to see Him as the Source for all their spiritual needs. "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him" (v.27).
Jesus stood before the people as the Bread of Life. He was the divine bread that had come down from heaven to satisfy and fill their souls. In Him they would find complete satisfaction; if they would simply believe. "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst" (v.35). Jesus was sent from heaven to be our Source of eternal life. If we seek His kingdom and His righteousness, He will faithfully provide everything else that we need (reference Matthew 6:33). Jesus was moved with compassion to care for the needs of His people, but He remained focused on His mission which would provide for man's greatest need. Let us praise our Savior for His obedience to the Father which has made Him our eternal supply of abundant life, and offer Him our gratitude for His constant and faithful supply of our daily bread by feasting on His Word each day and living in obedience to His commands. "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare" (Isaiah 55:1-2).
Heavenly Father,
"When Your words came, I ate them;
they were my joy and my heart's delight,
for I bear Your name, O LORD God Almighty."
(Jeremiah 15:16)
Help me to look with gratitude on the portion
You have placed on my plate today,
acknowledging that You know exactly what I need.
Open my heart that I may feast on this portion
You have faithfully prepared,
and strengthen my faith to believe that it is
more than enough to meet all my needs
and the needs of those surrounding me.
"For the Lord's portion is His people."
(Deuteronomy 32:9a)
May all that I do and say today be to
Your delight, and bring satisfaction and glory
to Your Holy Name, I pray. Amen.
We live in a world that constantly bombards us with enticing messages, telling us what we need to have, and calling us to doubt and question that we don't have enough. Jesus came with the message that He is more than enough. If we look to Him alone He will supply all that we need. "...immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine..." (Ephesians 3:20). This afternoon, pray for believers everywhere to resist the pull of the world which calls us to chase after material and temporal fulfillment; these are only artificial substitutes that will never gratify. Ours is a spiritual life, therefore only spiritual food will fully satisfy. Ask the Lord to send a fresh portion of His Holy Word to His children today, so we can "taste and see that the LORD is good" (Psalm 34:8a), and return to Him with wholehearted devotion so He can be our Portion forever. Pray for the Church to recognize its' lack of spiritual strength, fervor, and power, because we are waiting for God to show up, rather than following after Him - seeking Him in His Word and spending time with Him in prayer. Let us pray for the multitudes to find their ultimate satisfaction in Christ alone. Jesus is enough!
EVENING MEDITATION -"...and on His law he meditates day and night" (Psalm 1:2)
Scripture Reading: Psalm 73
The crowds gathered around Jesus wherever He went. They desired to be in the presence of Jesus more than anything else, believing He was the One who could meet their every need. As we meditate on Psalm 73 this evening we find the psalmist expressing his despair over the success and power of evil men; he found himself overcome by what he witnessed and saw until he "entered the sanctuary of God" (v.17). It was when he resisted the pull of his surrounding circumstances, and entered into the presence of God, that it was revealed to him that God's plans would ultimately prevail. "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails" (Proverbs 19:21). The Lord desires for us to make time throughout the day to meet with Him in prayer, so that our vision and motivation is constantly aligned with His. The more time we spend with our Lord in the secret place of prayer, the less likely we will be caught off guard, or find ourselves overwhelmed, by the circumstances of life. May we come to His abundant banqueting table and indulge in the feast of spiritual delights He prepares for us each day. Let us be careful not to fill up on the unhealthy (and unholy) substitutes of the world that we arrive at His table already full and unable receive with joy the portion He has placed on our plate.
Heavenly Father,
I magnify and glorify Your Holy name.
Thank You for the promises in Your Word
which speak these words of comfort to my heart:
"I am always with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with Your counsel,
and afterward You will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And earth has nothing I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever."
In You alone am I satisfied.
Fill me with the fullness of Your
abundant life as I feast on Your Word
and sit in Your presence at the throne of grace each day.
