Weekly Reading – 07/25/2024

Do you have plenty? Have you been abundantly blessed? Do you think, on occasion, that I don’t have enough? Does it worry you? We should step up and trust God, He has said that He will give us what we need. Now there is a difference between need and want. Sometimes we stray from the difference in those two terms. Generally, we are comfortable, we have food and shelter, water and comfort. There are times though when we are hurting or we do see those in need that don’t have our blessings. Being aware of those around us is a developed skill. We may try to conceal our issues, or perhaps feel that no one cares about us. Let the Holy Spirit train us to do better, to be open to seeing what is going on inside our church family. Even the smallest thing can grow into a deeply appreciated love.

2 Kings 4:42-44 42)Now a man came from Baal-shalishah, and brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And he said, “Give them to the people that they may eat.” 43)His attendant said, “What, will I set this before a hundred men?” But he said, “Give them to the people that they may eat, for thus says the LORD, “They shall eat and have some left over.” 44)So he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD. A couple of things, first, we are to be giving the first fruits to God, from whom all blessings flow, this man did just that. Not only did he do what was asked of us, exactly what God said would happen did. Though to this attendant it seemed ridiculous that the amount provided would feed everyone, it did with leftovers. Does this ring a bell?

Psalms 145:10-18 10)All Your works shall give thanks to You, O LORD, and Your godly ones shall bless You. 11)They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power; 12)To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts and the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom. 13)Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures throughout all generations. 14)The LORD sustains all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down. 15)The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due time. 16)You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. 17)The LORD is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds. 18)The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. Again, God supplies our every need. When prayerful, we reflect. When silent, things are revealed.

Ephesians 3:14-21 14)For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15)from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16)that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17)so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18)may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19)and know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. 20)Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21)to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever, Amen. What is Paul saying here? He is referring that through our baptism in Christ, that the indwelling of the Spirit has such power that we do not even know or understand, yet it is there. Perhaps through our prayers and preparing our minds by the study of God’s Word, that Spirit grows within us. When that happens God’s will is done through us. It is so profound.

John 6:1-21 1)After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee(or Tiberias). 2)A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick. 3)Then Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples. 4)Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near. 5)Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?” 6)This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do. 7)Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.” 8)One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9)”There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?” 10)Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11)Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. 12)When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.” 13)So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14)Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15)So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make HIm king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone. 16)Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17)and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18)The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. 19)Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they say Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they became frightened. 20)But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21)So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going. Point drive here, again, God provided for these people and there was plenty. Plenty and leftovers too. God can do anything, Jesus prayed, He knew what was going to happen, He tested Philip and asked. It probably wasn’t the answer He wanted to hear. The act of this provision was a miracle in itself, but is is more than just that. God is intertwined in all that we do, we do have plenty.

These scriptures are about trust, trusting in God, knowing that we owe God our first fruits because He gave to us the opportunity to gather those first fruits. He is incredible.

Through Christ, Seek God,

D.J. Schoneweis

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