But Jesus said, You feed them. Luke 9:13a A couple of years ago on Thursday afternoon, a few people would come through my office door for Bible Study. They’d bring with them stories of past addiction, abuse, childhood dysfunction, and second and third chances. They would also bring friendship. Laughter. Honesty. A heart and desire for more. One week we went around the table and shared five things that described us. Not five things from the past, or five things we see in the mirror. But five things that described who we are as changed, Jesus-filled people of faith. When it was my turn, I shared three of my five things: I am a prayer warrior. I am loved by God. I am an adventurer ... As I listed number three, I also casually mentioned how Id jumped out of a plane – skydiving and how I had bungee jumped (which I’ve used for a devotion not too long ago)…all things I was afraid to do, but also just as much curious and that much more “adventurous” or “crazy” to do. Before I could move on, the conversation erupted. Jump out of a plane? Why? Thats crazy! Bungee jump! Are you nuts? Our study took a quick detour. After several minutes, I realized our discussion had taken a God-turn as the people began sharing their deepest fears, such as: taking a healthy risk within a relationship; believing they were capable to lead others; going on a mission trip (which requires flying). Even riding a ride at an amusement park. Events and people from their past had convinced most of them (especially the women) they were not intended to live adventurously, but rather to be limited by their past and fears. Did Jesus disciples feel that way too? In Luke 9, the disciples approached Jesus with a big problem. The crowd was massive. They were in an isolated area, and there was no food. The disciples wanted the people sent away. Instead, Jesus turned to them and said, You feed them. It made perfect sense for the disciples to ask Jesus to send the crowd away. In the natural, there simply wasnt enough food. In the natural, they were accustomed to Jesus taking charge. In the natural, they were faced with a crowd of 5,000 men accompanied by women and children, bringing the total to many, many more people. You feed them was a call to step out of the natural and into the supernatural. It was a jump-out-of-the-airplane faith moment. Jesus wasnt asking them to do it in their own power. John 15:5b says, apart from me you can do nothing. Jesus was letting them know He was prepared to do a lot with the little they had to offer. I asked the people attending the Bible Study what it might look like if they were to respond to Jesus call to adventure. One said they would ride rides with one of us if we went to an amusement park even though it was something she’d been terrified of all her life. Another expressed they were willing to open their heart to loving others, even if they were still a work in progress and their heart had been ripped out many times by those she thought loved her, but did not. Another, who has never been on an airplane and is scared of them, is a recovering addict who desires nothing more than to tell others about Jesus. She said, I would be afraid, but if God told me to go on a mission trip, Id get on an airplane because my God would be there with me. I wanted to dance in joy! Something significant was taking place. For no matter how small the adventures might seem to others, God could do big things with each of us. Have the words of others or your past put limitations on you? Have they caused you to fear, or to think that Jesus cant use you because of your story? Does it seem too hard, or too big? You do it. Thats Jesus, putting His vote of confidence in you, knowing He can supply all your needs. Its a call to move from walking in the natural to believing in the supernatural. To learn things about yourself that God has known all along, and to watch the miracle of faith unfold in your heart. Ephesians 3:20, Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Isaiah 43:18, Forget about whats happened; dont keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. Im about to do something brand-new. Write down five things that describe you as a person of faith, separate from your past or the negative words of others. Take those words and hold them up in prayer. Ask God what He can do with what you have to offer. Father, thank You for seeing beyond my fears, beyond my broken places, to the real me underneath. You see a strong person of faith and a trusting child of God. Today, I trust that I can do all things through You, and with Your help.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 14:57:40 +0000
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