So he got back into the boat and left them, and he crossed to the other side of the lake. But the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any food, so there was only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.” They decided he was saying this because they hadn’t brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said, “Why are you so worried about having no food? Won't you ever learn or understand? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? ‘You have eyes – can’t you see? You have ears – can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all? What about the five thousand men I fed with five loaves of bread? How many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?” “Twelve,” they said. “And when I fed the four thousand with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?” “Seven,” they said. “Don’t you understand even yet?” he asked them.
his passage was so fitting for today. It amazes me that God hand picks tests for me and then grabs me with the text I need to read, even though I may be reading sequentially through the Bible.
Rich reminded me the other day about the “monuments” that the patriarchs would set up after an important event. It was a place to return, to remember, and a place to teach their young people about God’s faithfulness. For us, our markers might be scrapbooks or journals, or a “token” that reminds us of what God was doing at a particular point in our life.
The importance of those markers is what Jesus tells the disciples here. They remind us of the lessons we learned in the last storm, the last difficulty, or even in the last victory. They remind us of how God made the impossible possible. They remind us of how He turned pain into incredible joy. They remind us how very much God loves us and is involved in every detail of our lives to conform us to the image of His dear Son.
What storm are you in just now? Look back and find that marker of how God brought you through the last one. And while you are in this storm, or while you bask in this spiritual victory, lay out some markers now for the next one—to remind you of what God is doing just now.
It's all about trust. If we want to earn someone's trust, we make sure we consistently show them that we are to be trusted. Eventually they learn to trust us.
ReplyDeleteIt's the same between us and God. Although we should trust him because he is God, often we don't. But these steady, regular reminders of his providence, mercy, and grace help us to develop and strengthen our trust.
I should probably sign off the computer now and go out in the yard to erect a pile of stones. God's working right now - and I need to remember.
You know, Rich, I think in some ways, this blog serves as a pile of stones. You have journaled much in the way of what God is doing in your life. Your transparency helps the rest of us, too, as we learn vicariously through you.
ReplyDelete