Going nowhere

Lord, I am needing you right now, coming to you with prayer right now. Heavenly Father, precious Father. I bow down low, low to lift my voice Lord. I have been prayer over prayer today for your daughters. Hurting over the loss of someone loved and dear, tired and worn from giving too much, for letting go when letting go seems too hard. Prayers for later in life arrangements when medicine and doctors are ignored and all the tests fail. Lord... Your daughters are so tired. Your daughters are beat down in this world. The enemy means to keep us beat and worn and tired.

For them all, I intervene and ask that you would raise them up. Raise them up and give them strength, comfort, energy and a voice. Do not allow us to be silenced and ineffective. Provide each one of us our "people" who encourage, uplift and carry away. We, your collective hands and feet, praise you for your loving grace, your mercy and your plan for our day.

You... You... God are our Abba Father, strengthener, provider, comfort and friend. The path we are on had been meticulously laid out to the last detail by your great design before our first breath.

Give us our fill today so we may rise... Look at the day before us and say... Today... I am tired and worn and beat down BUT God has planted me in this spot and I will not back down from the day... I will carry on my mission placed before me with confident grace that is in Christ Jesus!

Amen!

I read in my quiet time this week about the loaves and the fishes, feeding 5,000. We've all read this biblical account. How not enough turned into more than enough, everyone ate their fill. How Jesus looked as His disciples and told them, "to feed these people." They rationalized and reasoned the cost and came up short, came up unable to meet the needs. But one boy... One "faith like a child" boy... Lent his loaves and fishes to a God who does more than we adults can hope or ask; and the small, out of the box, faith like a child's offering was multiplied ... To God be the glory...

But that wasn't the days lesson for me... Nope! My lesson revealed itself in the before and the after...

Before reading about the loaves and the fishes... Before seeing God break bread and multiply... Reading His words in the "before"... Let's rest...

Mark 6:30-31 (msg)
The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all they had done and tot Jesus said, "Come off by yourselves let's take a break and get a little rest."

They... They were going to steal away and get some rest... Some solitude, well deserved I am sure. They were going to get to steal away with our God... How amazing, how blessed... The very thought brings me peace... But....

Mark 6:32-34 (msg)
So they got in the boat and went off to remote place by themselves. Someone saw them going and word got around. From the surrounding towns people went out on foot, running, and got their head of them. When Jesus arrived he saw a huge crowd. At the sight of them, His heart broke – like sheep with no Shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them.

But... Their work was not done... There are always more who are hurting, who need a little bit of Jesus more than they did, than we do.

So they got to work... Teaching... Feeding and filling. Jesus then dismisses them all... The people and His Diciples and He goes away to pray...

Mark 6:45-46 (msg)
As soon as the meal was finished, Jesus insisted his disciples get in the boat and going across to Bethsaida while He dismissed the congregation. After sending them off, he climbed a mountain to pray.

My wow moment...

Mark 6:47-49 (msg)
Late at night, the boat was far out at sea; Jesus was still by himself on land. He could see his men struggling with oars, and the wind having come against them. At about 4 o'clock in the morning, Jesus came towards them, walking on the sea. He intended to go right by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and screamed, scared out of their wits.


He could see them struggling but intended to walk by them. Does this seem like the same man who's heart broke for the people a few paragraphs before? Does this reflect his character?

I can imagine the sight they must have been, arguing about what to do -- their oars in the water and the boat not moving... Perhaps spinning around, paddling in vein... Taking on water... And yet... He sees them, goes to them... Intending to pass them by.

We find out why...

Mark 6:50-52 (msg)
Jesus was quick to comfort them: "Courage! It's me. Don't be afraid." As soon as he climbed into the boat, the wind died down. They were stunned, shaking their heads, wondering what's going on. They didn't understand what he had done at supper. None of this had penetrated their hearts yet.

How often are we blessed with God's goodness, seeing miracles... Relying on Him to answer our prayers and meet our basic needs and when the storms of this life blow... We forget that he has every detail written and done.

Courage! Dear sister... There is still work to be done... And we are not doing it alone!