1 00:00:38,001 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 1: Hey friends, it's Kelly from Life Audio. We just launched 2 00:00:41,501 --> 00:00:45,181 Speaker 1: something new. It's called The Good Word, our free weekly 3 00:00:45,241 --> 00:00:48,120 Speaker 1: newsletter built for people who want to go a little 4 00:00:48,161 --> 00:00:54,011 Speaker 1: deeper in their faith. Think devotionals, guided prayers, curated podcast recommendations, 5 00:00:54,191 --> 00:00:57,311 Speaker 1: and a little community all in one place. No ads, 6 00:00:57,651 --> 00:01:00,091 Speaker 1: just good content. This one means a lot to us. 7 00:01:00,491 --> 00:01:03,271 Speaker 1: We built The Good Word based on the audience survey 8 00:01:03,491 --> 00:01:05,671 Speaker 1: so many of you filled out a few months back. 9 00:01:05,991 --> 00:01:08,571 Speaker 1: You told us what you wanted and we listened. So 10 00:01:08,611 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 1: thank you truly for helping us shape this. Head to 11 00:01:11,580 --> 00:01:14,161 Speaker 1: the link in the show notes and join our community today. 12 00:01:14,481 --> 00:01:20,301 Speaker 1: We'd love to have you. Life Audio. 13 00:01:27,071 --> 00:01:30,471 Speaker 2: Thank you for listening to your daily Bible verse. The 14 00:01:30,491 --> 00:01:34,001 Speaker 2: podcast that examines one verse each day. to learn more 15 00:01:34,041 --> 00:01:37,340 Speaker 2: about God and His will for our lives. I'm your host, 16 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:41,541 Speaker 2: Kyle Norman. After a brief message from one of our sponsors, 17 00:01:42,161 --> 00:01:46,470 Speaker 2: we will continue with today's verse. Today's verse can be 18 00:01:46,531 --> 00:02:02,671 Speaker 2: found in Matthew 14, verse 16. Jesus replied, They do 19 00:02:02,711 --> 00:02:06,121 Speaker 2: not need to go away. You give them something to eat. 20 00:02:08,041 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 2: I once led a church service where everything went wrong. 21 00:02:12,341 --> 00:02:15,300 Speaker 2: At the beginning of the service, we were interrupted by 22 00:02:15,401 --> 00:02:17,701 Speaker 2: the man who lived at the park across the street. 23 00:02:18,421 --> 00:02:22,631 Speaker 2: He burst into the church and started acting strangely. Then, 24 00:02:22,791 --> 00:02:26,490 Speaker 2: during the sermon, one of our choir members fainted several times. 25 00:02:27,451 --> 00:02:29,851 Speaker 2: And just as we were about to celebrate the Lord's Supper, 26 00:02:30,171 --> 00:02:33,591 Speaker 2: we had to call the paramedics. Faith is like that. 27 00:02:33,611 --> 00:02:35,901 Speaker 2: As followers of Jesus, we often find ourselves facing situations 28 00:02:35,930 --> 00:03:00,581 Speaker 2: where we feel ill-equipped or ill-prepared. In fact, Jesus even 29 00:03:00,740 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 2: invites us into these experiences. This is what we see 30 00:03:05,001 --> 00:03:08,621 Speaker 2: with the feeding of the 5,000. This event is so 31 00:03:08,701 --> 00:03:12,180 Speaker 2: important that it is the only miracle that is written 32 00:03:12,261 --> 00:03:16,261 Speaker 2: about in every single gospel. And this is because this 33 00:03:16,351 --> 00:03:21,451 Speaker 2: miracle isn't just about giving people some bread. In some way, 34 00:03:21,531 --> 00:03:26,151 Speaker 2: the miracle illustrates the abundance of Jesus that we, as 35 00:03:26,231 --> 00:03:32,161 Speaker 2: his disciples, are invited to participate in. But there are times, 36 00:03:32,231 --> 00:03:36,281 Speaker 2: aren't there, when we don't notice this invitation because we 37 00:03:36,341 --> 00:03:40,021 Speaker 2: are too busy looking at the obstacles before us. This 38 00:03:40,141 --> 00:03:43,921 Speaker 2: is what happens with the disciples. Jesus has spent the 39 00:03:43,961 --> 00:03:47,701 Speaker 2: entire day teaching and healing, and as the sun begins 40 00:03:47,741 --> 00:03:52,421 Speaker 2: to set, the disciples ask Jesus to send the crowds away. Now, 41 00:03:52,581 --> 00:03:55,691 Speaker 2: to their credit, the disciples are trying to care for 42 00:03:55,701 --> 00:04:00,211 Speaker 2: the crowds. They've done the math, the remoteness of their location, 43 00:04:00,721 --> 00:04:04,641 Speaker 2: plus their lack of resources, plus the huge number of people, 44 00:04:05,081 --> 00:04:08,391 Speaker 2: means that this was not a viable situation. And so, 45 00:04:08,651 --> 00:04:11,131 Speaker 2: they go to Jesus with the only plan that they 46 00:04:11,171 --> 00:04:14,991 Speaker 2: could think of. Before it's too late, Jesus sent them home. 47 00:04:16,331 --> 00:04:19,371 Speaker 2: In their own way, the disciples were trying to act 48 00:04:19,471 --> 00:04:22,210 Speaker 2: in love for the people around them, and that's a 49 00:04:22,311 --> 00:04:27,741 Speaker 2: good thing. The problem was, however, that they were thinking 50 00:04:27,821 --> 00:04:31,591 Speaker 2: more about the obstacle before them rather than the presence 51 00:04:31,651 --> 00:04:35,171 Speaker 2: with them. The disciples were too busy thinking about what 52 00:04:35,251 --> 00:04:39,071 Speaker 2: they didn't have that they forgot about the one with 53 00:04:39,151 --> 00:04:45,380 Speaker 2: whom they stood. Jesus invites the disciples to participate in 54 00:04:45,421 --> 00:04:49,541 Speaker 2: his abundant work. They don't need to leave. You give 55 00:04:49,581 --> 00:04:53,461 Speaker 2: them something to eat. I think we have to ask 56 00:04:53,501 --> 00:04:58,871 Speaker 2: the question, after a whole day of experiencing Jesus' abundant compassion, 57 00:04:59,451 --> 00:05:04,411 Speaker 2: manifested in tangible ways. Why do disciples think that the 58 00:05:04,471 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 2: abundance of Jesus would not continue? Suddenly, when they perceived 59 00:05:09,921 --> 00:05:13,301 Speaker 2: this obstacle before them, why did they revert to a 60 00:05:13,321 --> 00:05:17,901 Speaker 2: position of scarcity, believing that they didn't have enough? If 61 00:05:17,940 --> 00:05:22,021 Speaker 2: Jesus could heal the sick, strengthen the infirmed, reverse conditions, 62 00:05:22,081 --> 00:05:28,291 Speaker 2: and restore health, why couldn't he satisfy hunger? I often 63 00:05:28,351 --> 00:05:31,761 Speaker 2: wonder what Jesus wanted the disciples to ask when he 64 00:05:31,821 --> 00:05:36,361 Speaker 2: invited them to feed the crowds. After all, Jesus asked 65 00:05:36,401 --> 00:05:39,651 Speaker 2: them to feed the crowds. He didn't ask them to 66 00:05:39,681 --> 00:05:43,271 Speaker 2: do a miracle. He didn't ask them to create a meal. 67 00:05:44,531 --> 00:05:47,551 Speaker 2: In asking them to give them something to eat, Jesus 68 00:05:47,690 --> 00:05:51,821 Speaker 2: already indicated that he was about to do something magnificent. 69 00:05:52,141 --> 00:05:56,311 Speaker 2: He was about to create something out of nothing. And 70 00:05:56,351 --> 00:05:59,891 Speaker 2: so instead of thinking about what they couldn't do, what 71 00:05:59,951 --> 00:06:05,151 Speaker 2: if they asked Jesus what they could do? Because in Jesus' hands, 72 00:06:05,811 --> 00:06:09,710 Speaker 2: whatever we bring, as small as it might be, is 73 00:06:09,851 --> 00:06:14,161 Speaker 2: able to be magnified. We might feel that we have 74 00:06:14,221 --> 00:06:18,361 Speaker 2: minimal resources at our fingertips, but that's really not what 75 00:06:18,401 --> 00:06:22,721 Speaker 2: we should be focusing on. What the disciples are asked 76 00:06:22,761 --> 00:06:25,591 Speaker 2: to focus on in this miracle is what they are 77 00:06:25,651 --> 00:06:29,851 Speaker 2: asked to be attentive to and to respond to, was Jesus' 78 00:06:29,931 --> 00:06:34,981 Speaker 2: unfolding will before them. And notice Jesus' word is fulfilled. 79 00:06:35,581 --> 00:06:38,940 Speaker 2: Jesus magnifies the bread and fish, but then he gives 80 00:06:39,001 --> 00:06:42,900 Speaker 2: it to the disciples to distribute. The disciples do, in fact, 81 00:06:43,291 --> 00:06:46,171 Speaker 2: give the crowd something to eat. And they do so 82 00:06:46,251 --> 00:06:50,411 Speaker 2: because they were willing to receive and distribute the abundant 83 00:06:50,471 --> 00:06:56,161 Speaker 2: provision of Jesus. Throughout the scriptures, there is a constant 84 00:06:56,211 --> 00:07:00,891 Speaker 2: call to step into God's abundance, to dare to believe 85 00:07:01,171 --> 00:07:05,411 Speaker 2: that God can do amazing things through ourselves, our offerings, 86 00:07:05,571 --> 00:07:10,051 Speaker 2: and our efforts. In fact, just before this event in Matthew, 87 00:07:10,491 --> 00:07:14,791 Speaker 2: Jesus instructs the disciples about the parable of the mustard seed, 88 00:07:15,311 --> 00:07:18,231 Speaker 2: that though it is the smallest of seeds, it grows 89 00:07:18,311 --> 00:07:23,131 Speaker 2: into something huge and provides space for life. As we 90 00:07:23,191 --> 00:07:27,631 Speaker 2: live our lives in faith, What if we responded to Jesus' 91 00:07:27,711 --> 00:07:31,871 Speaker 2: invitations by asking what is the abundance that we have 92 00:07:32,451 --> 00:07:37,281 Speaker 2: rather than what is our limitations? What if we focused 93 00:07:37,341 --> 00:07:41,821 Speaker 2: more on the Savior rather than the struggle? In a 94 00:07:41,861 --> 00:07:45,321 Speaker 2: sermon on this miracle, Charles Spurgeon wrote that our first duty, 95 00:07:45,921 --> 00:07:47,911 Speaker 2: when we look at our resources and feel them to 96 00:07:47,951 --> 00:07:51,511 Speaker 2: be insufficient, is to place our resources in the hands 97 00:07:51,551 --> 00:07:55,311 Speaker 2: of Jesus. Because in the hands of Jesus, anything is possible. 98 00:07:57,311 --> 00:08:00,911 Speaker 2: So take a moment and ask yourself, what can you 99 00:08:01,041 --> 00:08:04,801 Speaker 2: offer to Jesus? What is the abundance that Jesus is 100 00:08:04,941 --> 00:08:10,541 Speaker 2: asking you to participate in? How might you make tangible 101 00:08:11,261 --> 00:08:14,851 Speaker 2: the great and abundant power of the Lord for others?