Wednesday 6 August, 2014

13 Jesus heard what had happened to John. He wanted to be alone. So he went in a boat to a quiet place. The crowds heard about this. They followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When Jesus came ashore, he saw a large crowd. He felt deep concern for them. He healed their sick people. 15 When it was almost evening, the disciples came to him. “There is nothing here,” they said. “It’s already getting late. Send the crowds away. They can go and buy some food in the villages.” 16 Jesus replied, “They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.” 17 “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. 18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 Then Jesus directed the people to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up to heaven and gave thanks. He broke the loaves into pieces. Then he gave them to the disciples. And the disciples gave them to the people. 20 All of them ate and were satisfied. The disciples picked up 12 baskets of leftover pieces. 21 The number of men who ate was about 5,000. Women and children also ate.

Jesus is devastated, his cousin John (the Baptist) has just been beheaded. He tries to get some space and time alone but it is useless, the crowds are bent on seeing him. Jesus is renewed by an eternal perspective and had compassion on all these people. His resources to love them were heavenly. He was provided emotional, spiritual and physical resources to show the compassion of his Father.

When I allow the compassion and love of God to flow through me, all resources required are provided from an infinite heavenly storehouse, I shall never run dry doing what the Spirit leads me to do. In fact compassion will overflow back into my life, just as the disciples collected the left over basketfulls of food.

“Lord I praise you – there is always enough when we live in your economy. I am freed to give, for you give freely to me. Make me the carrier of compassion to a hurting people. Teach me to release my finite resources so that they may be replaced by infinite resources. For freedom you have set me free, let freedom flow through me today”.

Written by Andrew Mellor