July 17th

July 17th -- Matthew 14:13-36 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2014:13-36&version=NLT)

Please go read the passage!

Love these stories. I really do. I mean, the feeding of the 5 thou. You think it's crazy, but then you also realize that was 5,000 men. Now, that doesn't include women, and most of these groups were families. So that's around another 5,000 women and between 5,000-10,000 children, probably. This means that 5,000 just became 15,000-20,000. Jesus provided for them all from 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread. God is our provider. When we are seeking after Him, He will always provide for us, like He did for those people who came to hear His word.

Jesus then walks on water. What I want to point out is Peter, though. We're all like Peter. Life is our stormy waters. It frightens us and often oppresses us. Jesus, though, calls us. It means we will be afraid and, in our own eyes, putting ourselves into a lot of unnecessary danger when we  could try and wait out the storm. Yet, we have to choose to go out to Him. When we believe God, we are like Peter when he walks over the water. Yet, we doubt God sometimes. This is like where Peter falls - we fall and panic as we start to drown. However, God will always reach out to us like Jesus reached out to Peter. Yet, then it becomes a  choice. We can choose to grab hold of God, or we can try our own luck and - in the end - drown.

People touched Jesus' robe and they were healed. That was all it took. All I could think of reading this passage was the passage Matthew 17:20. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible." These people had so much faith in Jesus they merely touched his robe and were healed. If things like that could happen, then why do we so often doubt God? We shouldn't. Really, all we need is faith like a mustard seed, and, through God, all things will become possible where they are His will.

Well, that will be all! God bless! Shalom!