GATHER UP THE FRAGMENTS THAT REMAIN THAT NOTHING BE LOST In this hour of tremendous instability and uncertainty we (the church) must not allow ourselves to become forgetful hearers concerning the things of God. It will be our consistent abiding in Christ, our unwavering faith in the promises of God along with our personal experiences and revelations with the Lord that will help us to endure during this endtime. Once we have personally experienced the power of God and the integrity of His character, it becomes more difficult for the enemy to discourage us concerning the goodness of God. Believers who are ungrateful are usually believers who have forgotten. As a result of forgetting the goodness that God has bestowed in their past circumstances, it’s easy for them to be persuaded that He will not intervene in their current/future circumstances. Thus their faith is compromised and their lives are in jeopardy of becoming unfruitful. It is very important for us not to forget the great and wonderful things the Lord has done for us; especially during these difficult and perilous times. Jesus calls satan the thief (Jn 10:10). He further described the thief’s function- to steal, kill and to destroy (John 10:10). One of the greatest things the enemy desires to steal from us is Gods past faithfulness to us. If he is successful in his attempt to blind us of Gods goodness because of current circumstances, he will also be successful in weakening our faith. In this hour we must not allow ourselves to forget the past goodness of the Lord. It is the remembrance of Gods past faithfulness that will help us believe in His present and future faithfulness to us (Psalms 77:10-12). When the Lord performs a miracle in our lives, we must never allow the enemy to steal that testimony from our hearts. There is power in the remembrance of the miraculous! “...When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost” (Jn 6:12). In the midst of an impossible situation, Jesus took the little that a young boy willingly and unselfishly offered for the helping of others. He blessed it, broke it, multiplied it and finally shared/distributed it (Jn 6:11). Everyone was filled as they ate fish sandwiches that day (Jn 6:11). But as the day drew on and the night persisted, Jesus admonished His disciples after they were filled, “Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost (John 6:12). This profound statement of the first century is echoing to us His disciples in this hour. We must also gather up the fragments that remain and allow NOTHING to be lost. But what is the meaning of this? The fragments the disciples were told gather were the remnants of the bread and fish Jesus miraculously provided for 5,000 men (including women and children). These fragments were meant to physically sustain the disciples as they proceeded on their journey. Although the fragments represent the physical sustenance, (to keep the disciples nourished during their journeys), the fragments also represent the spiritual sustenance that can keep us nourished during our spiritual journeys. In a spiritual way the fragments represent the remembrance of the miraculous that Jesus had just performed in the disciples lives. They would have to eat of these fragments daily as they went on various different tests to mature and develop their faith. These fragments were to act as faith builders that would remind the disciples that as Jesus remained faithful to them when they didnt have anything before, He would continue to remain faithful if they didnt have anything now. We must all begin to ask ourselves, what fragments have we taken from the past miracles Jesus performed in our lives? It is Gods intention that nothing of what He has miraculously done within our lives would be lost (forgotten). We are not to forget Gods PAST faithfulness to us. Those are the fragments we will have to feast on until the Lord does a new thing in our lives. Every miracle that God does in our lives have a twofold purpose attached to it. Its twofold purpose is to free us now and to fill us with faith for later. This twofold purpose is deliberately meant to sustain us, deliver us and provide for us both now and later. Every miracle that God accomplishes in our lives is like seeds which are planted in our hearts so we may better believe God for the next miracle. However, if we refuse to remember (or take lightly) the past miracles God has graciously performed in our lives, the impact of those miracles will be lost. We like the disciples have to gather fragments from our last miracle so that we can eat (be reminded of) until the Lord performs His next miracle. The fragments ALONG WITH the fresh daily manna is the sustenance we will need in order to survive the journey just up ahead. It is wise for us not to focus so much on what God has not yet done and be grateful and full of faith because of what He has already done. Gather up the fragments (past miracles of Gods faithfulness) in your life dearly beloved and let nothing be lost. Feast on His faithfulness and great faith will come into your heart.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 12:37:58 +0000
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