My chapter for today was John 6, but after beginning reading I realized I couldn't choose just one small segment and ignore the rest of the chapter, so I decided on a "change of plans" alteration. Instead of commenting on only one thing in each chapter, I will just divide the chapters up when there is more than one thing I want to address. Works for me!
The first portion of John 6 relates the story of Jesus feeding the 5000. Jesus was on the far side of the lake - a lake knows variously as Galilee, Genessaret, Tiberias, Kinnaret. And he had a following of people who were apparently so intent on hearing him, that they didn't think ahead that they might get hungry. Only one young boy had a lunch along with him - 5 small barley loaves and 2 fish.
I wish we could hear the dialogue that ensued when Andrew (presumably) asked the boy if he'd be willing to give his lunch to Jesus to see what he could do with it. The disciples had witnessed the results of Jesus turning water jars full of water into fine wine, so why not fish and barley rolls into lunch for 5000? It could have crossed their minds, but whether it did or not, they obeyed in anticipation when Jesus instructed them to have the people sit down. It is believed that the numbering of the 5000 was "men only" so in reality it was potentially a much larger crowd. No matter. Five loaves and 2 cooked fish fed all that were present - and afterward Jesus instructed his disciples to gather all of the leftovers, and they accumulated twelve baskets of leftover fragments of the impromptu picnic lunch.
And people believed! Their inclination was to make him King, but he didn't come to be an earthly king with an earthly kingdom, so he withdrew to the mountain by himself.
This is one of the earliest stories we learn as children in Sunday School. It is a foundational witness to the reality that God can do ANYTHING! And it is instructive to my faith - that when something seems insurmountable, HE has a plan!
Just a little aside, a friend sent me a cute little visual about PEACE, LOVE & JOY. It was the first thing on my mind this morning. Peace - yes I have internal peace. Check. Love - yes I love deeply and that is intact. Check. Joy.... That's a bit harder in the face of huge challenges that would try to knock me off my feet.... And then God reminded me that true joy is simply choosing Jesus every day. "The Joy of the Lord is my strength" simply means that having the Lord in my life equates to Joy, a joy that the world cannot understand, and it doesn't equate to feeling, but to practice and intentionality. I CHOOSE Joy. I choose Jesus. Even in the challenges. Even in the storm. He is enough!
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