The depth of a miracle....

Since I have been updating my blog more, and you all are reading it (I can't believe your're reading MY blog..anyways)....I have really been seeking God and praying that he would show me what to write about. I have always prayed about my writing, but I have never felt such a strong leading. I do not know if I will always post devotional type articles, but this is what is on my heart on this beautiful, warm (40 degrees, gotta love Ohio) Saturday afternoon. I pray that this comes at an appointed time for you! I believe in an on time word!! I will give you the scripture references I am using, but I will paraphrase the stories a little (please don't get mad at me.) I linked the scripture in case you wanted it in front of you, New Living Translation :)

Mathew 14:13-14 (paraphrased) 
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2014&version=NLT

Let me set the scene for you here, just a little bit. Jesus had just heard the news that John was beheaded. I believe that Jesus felt the same emotions that we do. He felt grief, that gut punched feeling that takes your breath when you get bad news. I cannot imagine hearing that a good ministry friend of mine had lost their head (literally). Jesus went off in a boat to be alone, but people heard where he was and they began to gather. When he saw the huge crowd, the word says that he, "Felt compassion for them, and healed their sick."

• He had just received horrible news and wanted to be alone. Have you ever felt that way, when things get crazy and every body wants something from you....we want to lock ourselves away from people. We honestly want a pity party, to sit and stew on how bad our current situation is. 
• Hello?! This was a huge loss to Jesus!! This spirit of isolation and loneliness is nothing new, it is our flesh trying to rear it's ugly head. I think that for a minute, Jesus dealt with the same feelings. As he was coming to the shore, he saw that people had followed him, because they needed him. They needed his touch, his presence, his peace. When Jesus saw the people gathering, he felt compassion for them. Did you hear that?? He felt compassion for them! That my friends, is what I want you to take away from all of this rambling. 
• This is not the only situation where Jesus could have very well told the people, "Not now guys, I'm sorry, can you come back tomorrow? I've had a horrible day..."
• ...he could have said, "I just need to be alone!! Will you stop following me?!" This response sounds like me. I'm sorry, I get that way with my kids, other peoples kids, my job at times....it feels like everyone needs a little piece of me and there is nothing left at the end of the day for me. Is that pride? Selfishness? Jesus did not respond this way!!
• Instead, he pushed through his grief, because he knew that he had a calling! I do not think it took him any time at all to decide that he was going to get up out of the boat and go meet the needs of the people that were anxiously awaiting his arrival. He saw the need of others, and lost track of his own grief. 
• The people that were waiting had no idea what news he had just received, and he didn't go up to them crying about his day before he prayed with them. He put them before himself, not so people would see it, but because that is just his character. Jesus had the ability to not be controlled by his emotions, but solely by the Spirit of God. 

Mathew 14:15-21 (paraphrased)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2014&version=NLT

This leads in to the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand. The disciples, knowing of what was going on behind the scenes, tried to send the crowd away, because it was getting late, and they knew that he was exhausted. Jesus tells them though, that everyone there would eat. He knew what food was available. He knew what it looked like, but without hesitation he encouraged the large group to sit down and prepare to dine. Can you imagine trying to coral a group that size?? 

• As Jesus was brought the five loaves of bread, and prayed over them --the natural eye saw that there was enough food for everyone!! I believe that this was symbolic though, in a spiritual sense, and Jesus knew it. 
• He later calls himself the bread of life. There is no coincidence that bread was one of the two things they had to serve. Jesus was showing the disciples that although he was only one person, exhausted, tired, sad....scared.....there was more than enough of him to go around! 
• Just as Jesus continued pulling pieces of bread off of these five loaves, he constantly gives himself to us. Enough to fill us up, not tease us! There was more than enough bread to feed everyone, and there is enough of Jesus for each of us.
• Most times, when there is a miracle--there is a ripple effect. The people who were fed were blessed to see the miracle right in front of them..to eat not only a small portion, but to eat until they couldn't possibly eat any more..that is the big, obvious message in this story...the ripple effect though....was what the disciples saw. 
• They saw Jesus giving himself freely and fully, they knew him personally. They knew his temperament, his tone, his mannerisms.  They saw the depths of what Jesus was doing. 
• To further make my last point...here is a personal example: I have seen first hand the struggles my husband has faced in getting his teaching license....not everyone sees the struggle though! People see that he has his Master's Degree and are over joyed for us, but because I know my husband personally, that degree and license mean so much more to me than to those other people. I saw the sacrifices he made, the stress and frustration that he endured. I saw the hard work.
• In the same sense, the disciples were touched in a different way by the miracles Jesus performed.