Monday, May 18, 2009

May 18, 2009

Did you know that Wonder Bread is in the Bible?
Reading in John 6, the first 15 verses. Jesus is ministering in Galilee. In one of my previous posts I talked about how many of His miracles happened there in that region. Another one is about to happen. This one was a result of the success He was having. Even though He tried to sneak away to spend some time teaching His disciples, a crowd followed Him. Not just a crowd - a great crowd - great hungry crowd with nothing to eat. Big problem!
Maybe a problem for you. Maybe a problem for me. But not a problem for Jesus. For Him it was an opportunity for a miracle.
As I read this I saw some interesting insights about how miracles happen:
First, there was a great need. Philip was sensitive to the needs of the people and recognized that something had to be done. There has never been a miracle without a need. Nor has there been a miracle unless some concerned person recognized that need. Are you facing a need? You may be a candidate for a miracle!
Second, there was a great deed. Andrew found one little boy who had brought a lunch. That youngster was willing to give up his lunch to meet the need. Five loves and two fish was a humble lunch, but in Jesus' hands those five loaves became Wonder Bread! No miracle ever happens unless someone is willing to respond to a need. Miracles may provide something you don't have, but they derive from something of ours that we are willing to give to Jesus. What is in your hand?
Next, there was a great feed. Jesus took the humble lunch and turned it into an all you can eat buffet! Thousands of hungry people ate until they were full and when the disciples gathered up the leftovers they still had twelve times more that they started with! Twelve baskets and twelve disciples - hmmmmmm! God's power always exceeds the need!
The Feeding of the Five Thousands is one of the best known and most popular miracles in all of the Bible! But it also one of the most illustrative!
We learn that when there is a great need that is sensed by a few, and when there is a great deed by a committed person, Jesus can meet a great need! That is the mixture that makes a miracle!