Greeting NTIM Supporters. These next two updates will be just a little different and are simply designed at sharing a couple of devotional thought with you to encourage your walk with our great God.
There are at least 2 incredible lessons about life that we can learn from this feeding of the 5,000 men. To begin let me ask you to take out your Bible and read John 6:1-14.
The first lesson Jesus teaches is what we call “THE YARDSTICK LESSON.”
Simply put, the yardstick lesson is a lesson that teaches us not to measure a problem or a challenge according to our current abilities or resources but to respond to this challenge by “crying out to God.”
What was the problem or challenge? The problem was related to how they were going to feed all of these people with no money and very little food?
Notice what Philip said in verse 7, “Philip answered Him, ‘Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.’ John 6:7
What did Philip do? He did what most of us would do. He measured the problem or challenge according to the current abilities and resources. If you measure the problem or challenge according to your current abilities and resources, you will always see the task as impossible and just give up. That is what Philip sees…the impossible.
Maybe you are in one of those situations right now. A situation that you see as impossible. Maybe it is a situation with your family, your business, your personal life, a friend or colleague, or even your ministry.
I am not talking about a situation that you brought on by yourself from choices that you made that led to this problem. I am talking about situations that you did not bring on yourself. Why does God allow those situations to come into your life?
There may be several reasons but I have found most of the time it is because God wants us to take another step in our development of faith and maturity so He allows a situation to come that seems impossible with our current abilities and resources.
These are the kinds of situation that stretch our faith and cause us to grow and see God do some amazing things. These are the situations that cause us to do what God wants us to do: CRY OUT TO GOD.
The Bible encourages us to cry out to God when we are in trials or difficulties. Notice the following verses:
“When I cry out to Thee, then shall my enemies turn back: This I know; for God is for me.” Psalm 56:9
“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their trouble.” Psalm 34:17
“But when we cried out to the Lord, He heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out from Egypt….” Numbers 20:16
“Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She, greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and cried bitterly.” I Samuel 1:9-10
Hannah knew she could not fix her problem herself. Hannah knew she could not change another person’s heart and the way they dealt with her. Hannah knew that her problem was bigger than her current abilities and resources so she responded the way God wanted her to respond and that was to Cry Out to God with all her heart. That is what we call THE LESSON OF THE YARDSTICK.
Are you in one of those situations today where you realize you are in an impossible situation that you cannot fix. What are you going to do about it? Is it time for you to humble your heart and cry out to your God with all of your heart? Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
Love & Prayers,
Pastor Michael