Filled by Jesus

Are you feeling empty? Do you desire sustenance? Are you looking for physical, emotional, or spiritual nourishment? Would you like to be filled? Have you turned to the One who can fill you?

We have a variety of needs. We need physical nourishment that comes from food and water. We know the healthier we eat, the better the chance we will have good physical health. We seek emotional nourishment through relationships with others. The better those relationships, the better our mental health.

Spiritual nourishment is often overlooked or discarded in our culture. We may eat right and exercise for good physical health. We may discard bad relationships in favor of good ones to improve our emotional health. But we do not always seek to fill our spiritual needs. Even if we do, we only cursorily seek them on Sunday morning.

Folks, let’s be honest. Spending one hour a week in worship is not going to fill us spiritually. Just as we eat multiple times a day, we need to spend multiple times per day with God. Just as we interact with our family and friends throughout the day, we need to interact with God throughout the day.

Neglecting our spiritual well-being is tantamount to neglecting feeding our bodies with energy producing food. Until we recognize the absolute need to fill ourselves spiritually, we will continue to be hungry and thirsty. Our souls crave a healthy relationship with God.

I pray we all seek to have a good relationship with God. I pray we recognize the need to fill ourselves spiritually. I pray each one of us will commit to spending more time with God. Seek spiritual fulfillment. Spend time each day with God. Interact with God continually. Ask Jesus to fill you.

Matthew 14:20-21 And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Ask Jesus

Have you ever been short on cash? Have you ordered your food at a restaurant then noticed you did not have enough money to pay for it? Have you ever been to a potluck dinner and thought there was no way there was enough food?

Many of us have experienced not having enough money at one point or another in our lives. It may have been an embarrassing moment, or it may have been one you simply caught and kept to yourself. Not having enough money can be embarrassing for us.

Maybe you have witnessed it and maybe you have not, but I have witnessed what appeared to be a miracle of food going much further than I thought. When I still lived in Virginia, we used to have a monthly potluck at the church following the last Sunday’s worship service. There were a couple of times when it appeared we were woefully short on food. But just like the stories of Jesus with the loaves and fish, we have plenty left over and everyone was full.

Sometimes we are just like the disciples. We look at what we have, feel it is inadequate, and sorrowfully bow our heads. We attempt to pass the responsibility on to someone else. We may try to pass it off on to those who are depending on us to provide. We may simply come to Jesus with our hat in hand and ask Him to fulfill the need and, honestly, not really expect much.

If it wasn’t for the fact it could become repetitive and ignored, I’m sure Jesus could say, “Ye of little faith.” We rightfully deserve to hear those words far too often. But Jesus had compassion for His disciples just like He had compassion on the people earlier in the passage. He simply has them bring what they have to Him and He uses it in a miraculous way.

I pray we all bring our needs to Jesus. I pray we trust Him to do what only He can do. I pray each one of us seek to do what we can and ask Jesus to fill in the gaps. Bring your needs to Jesus. Trust Him to handle it. Do what you can do. Ask Jesus to provide what you cannot.

Matthew 14:16-17 Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.”

Active Compassion

What are you doing for those in need? Do you have compassion for them? Does your compassion motivate you to action? Are you in need? Do you desire someone to have compassion for you? Have you turned to Jesus?

We often people say they feel sorry for someone in a bad situation or ill. That is how we express our compassion. Yet, many times that expression is as far as it goes. Far too few of us put our compassion into action. We assume someone else will take care of it.

Compassion without action is almost assuredly empty. At a minimum, it is not Christ-like. If we follow the example of Jesus, we put our compassion into action. Jesus had compassion and healed the sick. He had compassion and fed the hungry. He had compassion and forgave the sinful. He continues to have compassion on each one of us. Will we choose to be like Him?

When we are in need, we desire compassion. We long for someone to heal us. We hope someone will feed us. We ask for forgiveness, even if only secretly. Again, Jesus has compassion on us. If we will turn to Him, He will do all of that and much, much more.

Jesus had had a very busy couple of days. He had heard how Herod had treated John the Baptist. He was distraught and seeking a place of isolation to spend some quiet time with the Father. The crowds found out where He was going and met Him there. There were in need. Jesus was likely tired. Yet, He took time to heal the sick among them. His compassion drove Him to address their needs.

There are times when we are tired, and someone comes to us with a need. Will we demonstrate compassion or simply say “I am sorry.” We may feel as though we have nothing left to give, but God provides for us as we are willing to give for his name’s sake. We are to allow God’s compassion for us to flow through us to others.

I pray we all strive to follow Jesus’ example. I pray we put our compassion into action, just as Jesus did. I pray each one of us experiences compassion from someone else when we are in need. Follow Jesus’ example. Put your compassion into action. Allow God’s compassion to flow through you. 

Matthew 14:14 When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick.

Disruptions Happen

Have you ever been distraught and sought a quiet place to reflect, grieve, or reenergize yourself? Have you had your quiet time disrupted by others who were seeking your attention? Are you going through such a time now? Did you know Jesus experienced a time like that?

We will all experience times when we desire to be alone in a quiet place. A loved one may have recently died. We may have lost a job unexpectedly. Perhaps a relationship has finally disintegrated to the point of separation. Then interruptions occur.

For many of us, family or friends disrupt our quiet time. They have no ill intent. In fact, if they recognize our grief or depression, they likely just want to help. Yet, sometimes, we simply need space, we need quiet time to think, and work through it in our own minds. We need time to pray and ask God to help us through the situation or make sense of what is happening.

Jesus had a time such as this. John the Baptist had been beheaded and Herod thought Jesus was John raised from the dead. Jesus knew of Herod’s acts. He wanted time to think through what was happening. He likely knew it was another key indicator and reminder of what He was to experience on the cross.

Perhaps the closest we can relate to Jesus’ situation is having a good friend have a disease that took their life and we have been diagnosed with the same disease. Knowing what someone else has experienced and believing that is going to be our future experience can take time to process and prepare ourselves for.

Jesus’s planned quiet time was interrupted by crowds of people who wanted something from Him. Our families and friends can be in need or want of something from us. We must rely on the short bit of quiet time we have with God to strengthen us until we can get a little more quiet time. We may need to look for a few moments of quiet time to continually tap into God’s strength. Finding those moments can be precious.

I pray we all recognize we need God’s strength. I pray we understand there will be disruptions. I pray each one of us will seek moments of quiet time to spend with God and use them when they occur. Ask God for strength. Seek God’s wisdom. Take advantage of quiet moments. Know there will be disruptions.

Matthew 14:13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns.

Look for Opportunities

Are you willing to set aside your needs or wants for your family? Are you willing to sacrifice your desires to provide for loved ones? Would you give your life for a friend? Do you wish you could give up your eternal life with God so you could save your kindred?

Many of us are willing to make sacrifices for our families. Parents especially are willing to sacrifice for their children. Some will ensure their children have enough to eat before they serve themselves. Some will buy new clothes for their children rather than themselves.

We all have heard stories of people who have run into a burning building or dove onto a grenade to save others. Having spent twenty years in the Marine Corps, I can attest to the brotherhood within military units. The smaller the unit, the closer the group is. They become like a tight nit family. They pick on one another, maybe argue with one another, maybe even fight one another, but an outsider is not allowed to do so. They will band together tighter than woven silk.

The Apostle Paul felt the same way about his fellow Israelites. He saw a preponderance of them who would not accept Jesus as their Messiah. He wished that he was separated from Christ so that they might be saved. Alas, that is not how it works. Each of them must make their own decision.

We may have family members or close friends we wish would accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We may wish we could convince them to do so. We may even wish we could give our salvation to them. However, we can’t. What we can do is continue to live the life Jesus desires for us. We can continue to be a positive example for them. We can make comments as the opportunity arises in hope of convincing them…and we should.

I pray we all desire to convince others to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. I pray we live lives that provide a positive example. I pray each one of us will continue to tell others about Jesus. Be concerned about the salvation for others. Be a positive example. Speak up about Christ. Look and listen for opportunities.

Romans 9:3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh.

Trust God

Where do you turn in times of trouble? Who can you count on to help you out? Do you count on family members? Can you count on your friends to be there for you? Have you sought out God? Have you called on him to hear you? Do you trust he will answer?

When trouble comes our way, and it will, we all need someone we can count on. We will need physical help, emotional help, or spiritual help. We may need all three at the same time. We may need financial help as well. Counseling is available for three of the four.

Physical help seems to be the easiest to get. We simply need some able bodies to help with moving or fixing a vehicle or adding on a room to the house. Emotional help becomes a little trickier. There are only a few people we trust with our emotional problems. Financial help can also be dicey. Maybe our family or friends can help, maybe we need to go to a financial institution to borrow the money we need.

Spiritual help is the trickiest of them all. It is also the most important of them all. It is the only one that will have an everlasting effect. We need someone we can trust who will be truthful and compassionate, knowledgeable and tactful, objective and caring. Most of us will turn to our pastor for spiritual counseling. After all, they are to keep conversations confidential. But what if we don’t have a pastor or perhaps do not fully trust him or her?

We can always call out to God. Because we know troubles will come, we should build our relationship with God beforehand. That will help us hear him when he provides an answer. It will help us see the situation as he sees it and see how he would have us address it. God will answer. The better our relationship with him, the quicker and easier we will see or hear his answer.

I pray we all build our relationship with God. I pray we turn to him in our times of trouble. I pray each one of us will look and listen for the answers God will provide us. Build your relationship with God. Seek him in all situations. Learn to hear his voice. Be attentive to his answers. Trust God.

Psalm 17:6

I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; 

incline your ear to me, hear my words.

God’s Cause

Are you in the middle of a battle? Are you striving for justice? Does feel like it is an uphill battle? Have you been striving for years to right a wrong? Have you asked God to intervene? Are you willing to accept God’s answer if he says you are fighting the wrong battle?

We fight many battles throughout our lives. For most of us, we believe we are fighting the right battle for the right reason. Sometimes, we have heard the battle cry of others and joined them. At other times, we feel we have been wronged and we choose to strive for retribution.

Our culture is full of battles. Some of them are small skirmishes while others are very large battles that seem to never end. Each side seeks to win. Sometimes there are more than two sides to the battle. It seems everyone has an opinion, everyone wants their voice heard, everyone thinks they are right. However, everyone cannot be right and opposing one another.

Make no mistake about it, there is right and wrong. To know we are on the side of right, we need to pray that God leads us and be willing to hear his answer, even if it doesn’t coincide with our thoughts. When we ask God to take up the battle, we cannot merely ask him to take our side of it, but we must ask that he take up the just cause and show us how we can follow him.

With the plethora of opinions, many of which are posted all over social media, we must continually reach out to God to show us the way. We must relieve ourselves of personal opinion and be open to following God’s direction. We must ask God to remove deceit from us. Being open to hearing God and willing to follow him will ensure we are truly fighting for a just cause.

I pray we all ask God to reveal to us the just cause. I pray we ask him to remove deceit from us. I pray each one of us are willing to follow God, taking up his just cause. Ask God to reveal his just cause. Be willing to follow him. Relieve yourself of your preferences. Take up God’s cause.

Psalm 17:1

Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry; 

give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit.

Sorting Them Out

Have you sat down to separate rotten fruit from good fruit? Have you spent time sorting good product to be boxed and shipped while throwing bad product into a trash heap? Have you considered it will be similar at the end of time?

We sort good from bad all the time. It may be part of our jobs to sort things, but we also sort good from bad in our daily lives. Sometimes, we interpret our preferences to be good and someone else’s preferences to be bad.

Mistakenly counting preferences as good or bad is what causes a lot of dissension in the world today. It becomes an ‘us versus them’ mentality, quickly followed by the ‘I’m better than you’ mentality. When that occurs, we are wrong.

Ultimately, there is only one who can define good and bad, and that is God. Jesus tells us that at His return there will be a sorting of good and bad based on His definition. All the definitions we hear, and we may spout ourselves will be useless unless they coincide with God’s definition. At that point, we will all be in awe beyond comprehension and will have no foundation on which to stand and argue. To prepare for that day, we need to ensure we are on the same page as God and abide by his definition.

I pray we all earnestly seek to understand God’s definition of good. I pray we pursue the goodness of God. I pray each one of us will ask the Holy Spirit to guide us into understanding and to following Jesus in all that we do. Be in sync with God. Know his definition of good. God will do the ultimate sorting. Follow Jesus in all things.

Matthew 13:47-48 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad.”

Keep the Tree Growing

Have you ever wondered what the kingdom of heaven is like? Have you considered the kingdom of heaven is not quite the same as heaven itself? Huh? Are you willing to give that a little thought? Will listen to some logical thinking on the subject?

As Christians, we talk a lot about heaven. We even talk about the kingdom of God, which the same as the kingdom of heaven. But do we realize they are not quite the same? I believe we think of them as the same…incorrectly. Hear me out.

Heaven is a place. Heaven can even be a vision. The kingdom of heaven is not just the place, but it includes all angels, the saints, and God himself. Heaven can be a place we long to go to. The kingdom of heaven is something we can belong to. Perhaps that is why Jesus uses so many parables or analogies to describe it.

When Jesus talks about the kingdom of heaven being like a mustard see that grows into a large tree, He is talking about the growth of the kingdom. Jesus is the seed. The growth is His church. As more and more people accept Him as their Lord and Savior, the kingdom grows. As the Apostles went throughout the world, big branches spread. As those they taught continued to spread the good news, smaller branches sprouted. More and more branches continue to sprout as we continue to tell people about Jesus, and they become His disciples.

I pray we all see heaven as a place. I pray we understand the kingdom of heaven as Jesus’ church. I pray each one of us continue to spread the news of Christ and keep the tree growing. Seek to go to heaven. Be a part of the kingdom of heaven. Tell others about Jesus. Keep the kingdom growing.

He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

Nothing Can Separate

Do you ever wonder if you are loved? Do you experience times in which you doubt that anyone loves you? Are there times when you feel as though you are all alone? Have you heard that God loves you but find it hard to believe? Have you read the Apostle Paul’s words?

As we go through life, we experience a variety of ups and downs. We may experience a period of time in which we feel abandoned and unloved. It can be a very difficult experience. It is also a lie we are being fed by Satan, who is constantly trying to bring us down.

It is important that we read and understand Scripture. We need that foundational understanding to combat the lies Satan uses against us. He can be very convincing. The lies can pile up, one on another, and cause a mountain of pain and disillusionment. Without the foundation of truth found in Scripture, we can tumble into the bottomless pit.

Carefully read today’s passage. Spend a few moments pondering each of the objects and situations Paul states than cannot separate us from the love of Christ. He provides quite a list. Then he wraps it up by including everything else. In other words, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of Christ. No matter what happens. No matter what we do. No matter what anyone else does. Christ will always love us. Jesus also promised He will never leave us, saying He will be with us until “the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Knowing passages such as todays can carry us through those lonely times. Knowing that Jesus will never leave us can give us the courage to face another day. Leaning on His promises and the understanding of the Apostles can provide us a foundation that will never crumble.

I pray we all spend time reading Scripture. I pray we seek to understand the promises of Jesus. I pray each one of us will use the promises of Jesus and the Apostles understanding as our solid foundation. Trust Jesus’ promises. Trust the Apostles’ understanding. Know that you are loved. Know that Jesus will never abandon you.

Romans 8:38-19 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.