Oct 13 - Luke 9:16

And taking the five loaves

and the two fish,

he looked up to heaven,

and blessed them and broke them,

and gave them to the disciples

to set before the crowd.

Luke 9:16

There are at least four important spiritual points in this story today ...

    1.    In order to witness to God's power and love, Jesus used what was available -- in this case, five dinner rolls and a few minnows. Whenever you have the chance to witness to God's goodness, look for the tools, images, and opportunities that are right at hand. (And don't forget that the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Yes, witnessing often happens best when we invite a friend to our table and break bread.)

    2.    Before Jesus did something momentous, he looked up to heaven. If you want better results in your endeavors ... stop!!! Indeed, stop and pray! Stoptrying to do it on your own power and initiative, and pray first for God's guidance and power.

    3.    Don't miss the connections! Nothing Jesus did was without deeper meaning. On the night in which he was betrayed, Jesus did exactly what he did before feeding the five thousand -- he took bread, blessed it, and broke it. Don't you know that at least one or two of the disciples, stopped and said, "Wait, where have I seen this before?" In your life, don't be so busy that you fail to stop and notice where God's hand of grace and power is.

    4.    Whenever you're doing something for the Lord, involve others. Jesus "gave the[divided bread and fish] to the disciples to set before the crowd." Jesus certainly could have done this great work all by himself, but he generously allowed others to be part of the blessing. Don't hoard the accolades or the blessings! Making a difference in the kingdom will probably encourage their faith ... as well as save you a little time. 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who likes taking

five verses from two books,

looking up to heaven,

breaking them open,

and setting them before a crowd