Scriptural Foundation:
Luke 9:1-6 New King James (NKJV)
Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece.
“Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”
So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
Luke 9:10-17 New King James (NKJV)
And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here.”
But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.”
And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.” For there were about five thousand men.
Then He said to His disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.” And they did so, and made them all sit down.
Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them.
Reflection:
I wish I could roll out of bed, eat what I wanted, and maintain my same physical appearance. Instead, I must workout and fight against the continual encroachment of age and gravity…lol. When I am consistent, my reward is a perpetual positive outlook due to the endorphins and the satisfaction of good health. The primary purpose for working out should be to get stronger in the hopes of making future activities and interactions easier. At the same time, one should not become complacent and develop a subtle spirit of apathy. We see this in our foundational scriptures:
Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. – Luke 9:1
And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. – Luke 9:10
At the beginning of chapter 9, Jesus sent out His disciples. As you know word choices in the Bible are very important. These group of men, went out as disciples, but came back as apostles. A disciple is defined as the practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior. Whereas an apostle is defined as a vigorous and pioneering advocate – Christian teacher.
The group came back overflowing with testimonies of the miracles that manifested through their obedience. What a joyous reunion! It marked a transformation, but not a full realization of the Mission. Individually they all did their “spiritual” reaps, but they all still shrunk back from the challenge of feeding the five thousand.
But He said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people.” For there were about five thousand men. – Luke 9:13-14
How quickly they had forgotten what Jesus taught them prior to sending them out.
And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? – Luke 6:46 (KJV)
Isn’t that just like us as Believers, praying daily for family members and friends, seeing manifestations of His glory, only to have a seemingly huge issue/problem come along and we suddenly have spiritual amnesia as to how great is the God we serve. That is why it is vital to mediate on the Word of God and renew our minds daily.
Despite not having one person out of the group rise to the challenge of the five thousand, our Lord responded lovingly and provided a blueprint as to how to encourage our fellow Believers in this sanctification walk.
- Jesus did not condemn them for knowing better at this point in their walk with Him.
Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”
“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!
– Matthew 18:21-22
- He was bold in His actions and expectations towards the Father.
Then He said to His disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of fifty.” And they did so, and made them all sit down. Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. – Luke 9:14-16
- He was confident in the Source of His power.
I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.” – John 12:49-50
- He remained faithful to the Mission, even when He was standing alone.
If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is. – 2 Timothy 2:13
As prayer warriors for Christ we should not condemn other saints; we should be bold about our calling; we should be confident in the One that works through us; and we should remain faithful to the end. If we are consistent is this, we will meet any every challenge in life with full force.
Seeking Revelation:
Grab your notebook:
- What are you doing daily to strengthen yourself in the Lord?
- Has your routine gotten stagnate?
- Ask the Holy Spirit to provide a new “training plan” for you.
Remember saints, battles aren’t won on the field, but during the preparation process.