YOU FEED THEM

Sunday, October 30, 2011: Job 21; Mark 5 & 6

S: Mark 6:37 – But he answered and said to them “You give them something to eat”…..

O: The disciples seeing the size of the crowd suggest to Jesus that he disburse the crowd to go find food for themselves. Jesus responds “you give them something to eat”

A: Its so easy to look around at the enormity of the needs around us and determine it is easier to just let someone else take care of them. Everywhere you look there is poverty, sickness, broken families, broken people. Let someone else feed the hungry. Let someone else set the prisoner’s free. Let someone else spread the gospel. Let someone else wade into the mess of someone’s life in order to give them new hope. Or even better – let them take care of themselves. We hide behind our phones, our computers, our roles as mother, father, our jobs, our ministry, our committees, our “busy-ness”. Jesus had an entire world to reach yet he took the time to talk to the woman at the well, to heal a blind man on the side of the road, to teach and equip those that would carry on when he was no longer with us. What if God doesn’t want to use someone else? What if He wants to use you? Right where you are. In your family, in your workplace, in the check-out line at the grocery store, at a concert, at lunch with a friend, over a cup of coffee ……….. We all have a story to tell. We all have gifts that God wants to use to set the rest of the world free. Woah………….that’s scary stuff. Yes it is. I will not lie. There’s risk involved. It requires us to step outside of our comfort zones. To try new things. To learn new things – sometimes from people we don’t think have anything to teach us. To look a little funny sometimes. To fail. I fail a lot and it hurts sometimes. But it’s not my job to worry about results. It’s my job to take the action. God has the rest of it. I’m willing to look a little silly for my God. I’m willing to fail. I’m willing to cry and get frustrated and discouraged and then get back up and try again. Why? Because God never fails. Maybe I’m just planting a seed. All I have to do is position myself so that God can use me and go when he says “Go”. After all He has a plan.

P: Father God help me to “give them something to eat”. Some days the only thing I have to give is you. That is more than enough. Help me to see this world as you see it. Every broken person I encounter is an opportunity. Give me courage Lord. Give me your truth. Give me your loving heart. Use me Lord as imperfect as I am today.