Daily devotion – before and after
Mark 6: 33 But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. 34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. 35 When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. 36 Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.”
37 But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.”
And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?”
38 But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”
And when they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.”
39 Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. 41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. 42 So they all ate and were filled. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. 44 Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.
In all four Gospels we find this amazing miracle recorded. We are told Jesus that Jesus fed 5,000 thousand men no counting women and children with 5 loaves and 2 fish. Jesus took these loaves and fish, blessed, broke, and gave them to His disciples to distribute to this enormous hungry multitude.
At the end of the miracle event, we are told all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up 12 baskets full of broken pieces of leftovers!
Jesus amazing creative power is on full display here! Only Jesus could prepare such an abundant feast in the wilderness.
Today we find ourselves living in an evil world and we see few with us and many against us. What shall keep our faith alive and halt us from falling into despair? There is only one answer, and that answer is for us to always look to Jesus. We need to think on His almighty power and His wonders of old recorded in God’s precious Word.
We must call to mind how He can create food for His people out of nothing and supply the needs of those who follow Him, even when we find ourselves in the wilderness.
After this staggering display of power by Jesus, we find Him not seeking the praise of men after performing one of His greatest of miracles. Instead we find Him immediately seeking solitude and spending time in prayer!
Jesus practiced what He taught – Mat 6:6 “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Let our Lord’s conduct in this respect be our example this week. We cannot work miracles as He did; in this He stands alone!
But we can walk in His steps in the matter of private devotion – we can pray.
This week will you strive to make time, and place, and opportunity for being alone with your Heavenly Father.
Above all, let us not only pray before we attempt to work for God, but pray also after our work is done!