Category: Devotional Thoughts

John 6:24-29 Full Bellies, Empty Hearts

The “feeding of the five thousand” is one of the most well known miracles of the New Testament. I can only imagine what it would be like to witness it—to see Jesus miraculously transform a humble meal into a massive feast.

Here’s what I find both tragic and ironic: many who witnessed it did not understand it. They sought Jesus afterwards, but for the wrong reasons:

So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him. They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs.”
-John 6:24-26

Messiah or Meal Ticket?

I’m afraid some things never change. From then until now, many are more concerned with blessings than with knowing the One who blesses. Entire “ministries” are built around this shallow spirituality (also known as the “prosperity gospel”). Far too many “sermons” and books present God as nothing more than a means to another end: our happiness, our wealth, our health, and our prosperity (I’ve written about one of the more extreme examples, but there are many more).

Some are more interested in having a sandwich than having the Bread of Life. Some settle for temporal pleasures and miss the eternal pleasure of knowing Him. How foolish!

Don’t get me wrong—there’s nothing wrong with asking for and enjoying God’s blessings. The Bible reminds us of God’s “benefits” (Psalm 103:2), and Jesus encouraged us to ask for our “daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). But these are never intended to be an end in and of themselves. Blessings and bread should direct our attention and gratitude towards the One who gave them to us.

Consider Jesus’ admonition to those who were looking for Him:

“But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man[ can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”

They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”

Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”
-John 6:27-29

What about you? Do you really want God, or do you just want something from God? Will you settle for a full belly and an empty heart?

Don’t miss the Bread of Life!

See Also:

Jesus and the Turo-Turo Meal

Missing the Miracle

David and Goliath: When the Armor Doesn’t Fit

I’m sure many of you have heard the story of David and Goliath. You’re probably familiar with the heroic faith of David, who defeated Israel’s largest enemy.

There’s a part of this story that you may not be so familiar with. I’m talking about one of the events that led up to this epic showdown:
Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before.

“I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again. He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.
-1st Samuel 17:38-40

Saul offered his own armor to David. This was quite an honor, but there was a major problem: David was only a teenage boy, and King Saul was a tall, impressive physical specimen. Simply put, Saul’s armor didn’t fit David. It probably looked like a toddler trying to wear his Dad’s shirt. Even if had fit, David had never worn armor before. He wasn’t a soldier—he was a simple shepherd boy.

David opted to use the humble weaponry of a shepherd—a staff and a sling. We know what happened from there. God gave David a glorious victory!

Why am I talking about Saul’s armor? We have a tendency to compare our talents with the talents of others. Sometimes we obsess over the things we can’t do instead of improving on the things we can do. It’s as though we are saying, “God you made a mistake when you created me. You gave me the wrong talents.” This kind of attitude does not glorify God!

I’ll give you a personal example. I’m not a good singer.  I was in youth choir back in high school (I think I just helped with volume), but I realized I’d never have a solo quality voice.  I simply don’t have any raw talent to develop in that particular area.

God has, however, given me other gifts. I went through a type of “audition” when I was still a teenager. I was given an opportunity to preach in my church. I am terrified of public speaking, but I sensed God wanted me to step out in faith and try it. It was not my best sermon, but it wasn’t a disaster either. No one went to sleep, no one threw a hymnbook at me, and no one accused me of preaching heresy. The feedback, in fact, was quite encouraging. “I think you’ve found your calling,” a fellow teenager told me.

God has continued to expand my preaching/speaking ministry since then. Do I have great speaking skills? Maybe not, though I’m always trying to improve. Are there preachers/speakers who are more gifted than I? Definitely, but that’s OK—I just want people to be blessed and touched by God when I speak.

Do you frequently compare yourself to others? Are you trying to wear someone else’s armor? Follow the example of David: offer your gifts/talents to God, and expect him to use them as only He can.

“You are the only person on earth who can use your ability. It’s an awesome responsibility.” – Zig Ziglar.