Key Thought

Today's Prayer

O glorious Father in heaven, I believe, but help my unbelief. Help me offer my limited resources to you so that they will be made sufficient to do your work and minister to those in need. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

The apostles {that Jesus sent out} came back to Jesus. They gathered around Jesus and told him about all the things they did and taught. Jesus and his followers were in a very busy place. There were many, many people. Jesus and his followers did not even have time to eat. Jesus said to his followers, "Come with me. We will go to a quiet place to be alone. There we will get some rest." So Jesus and his followers went away alone. They went in a boat to a place where there were no people. But many people saw them leave. The people knew it was Jesus. So people from all the towns ran to the place where Jesus was going. The people were there before Jesus arrived. When Jesus arrived there, he saw many people waiting. Jesus felt sorry for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd {to care for them}. So Jesus taught the people many things. It was now late in the day. So Jesus' followers came to him. They said, "No people live in this place. And it is already very late. So send the people away. They need to go to the farms and towns around here to buy some food to eat." But Jesus answered, "You give them some food to eat." The followers said to Jesus, "We can't buy enough bread to feed all these people! We would all have to work a month to earn enough money to buy that much bread!" Jesus asked the followers, "How many loaves of bread do you have now? Go and see." The followers counted their loaves of bread. They came to Jesus and said, "We have five loaves of bread and two fish." Then Jesus said to the followers, "Tell all the people to sit in groups on the green grass." So all the people sat in groups. There were about 50 or 100 people in each group. Jesus took the five loaves and two fish. He looked up to the sky and thanked God for the bread. Then Jesus divided the bread and gave it to his followers. Jesus told his followers to give the bread to the people. Then Jesus divided the two fish and gave the fish to the people. All the people ate and were full. Afterthe people finished eating, the followers filled twelve baskets with the pieces of bread and fish that were not eaten. There were about 5,000 men there that ate.

Related Scripture Readings

We can say these things, because through Christ we feel sure before God. I don't mean that we are able to say that we can do anything {good} ourselves. It is God who makes us able to do all that we do.

But I must not become too proud of the wonderful things that were shown to me. So a painful problem was given to me. That problem is an angel from Satan (the devil). It is sent to beat me and keep me from being too proud. I begged the Lord three times to take this problem away from me. But the Lord said to me, "My grace (kindness) is enough for you. When you are weak, then my power is made perfect in you." So I am very happy to boast about my weaknesses. Then Christ's power can live in me. So I am happy when I have weaknesses. I am happy when people say bad things to me. I am happy when I have hard times. I am happy when people treat me badly. And I am happy when I have problems. All these things are for Christ. And I am happy with these things, because when I am weak, then I am truly strong.

With God's power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of. To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen.