Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Father in heaven, I cannot read the hearts of people very well. I know that you know them. I know that you know what is best for them at any given moment. Please, dear Father, help me to know when to move on to other people and other fields of service that are ready for truth, love, and grace. However, dear Father, help me know when to stay and keep loving and serving people as well. Please give me this wisdom in Jesus' name. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

Another time there were many people {with Jesus}. The people had nothing to eat. So Jesus called his followers to him. Jesus said, "I feel sorry for these people. They have been with me for three days. And now they have nothing to eat. I should not send them home hungry. If they leave without eating, they will faint while going home. Some of these people live a long way from here." Jesus' followers answered, "But we are far away from any towns. Where can we get enough bread to feed all these people?" Then Jesus asked them, "How many loaves of bread do you have?" The followers answered, "We have seven loaves of bread." Jesus told the people to sit on the ground. Then Jesus took the seven loaves and gave thanks to God. Jesus divided the bread and gave the pieces to his followers. Jesus told the followers to give the bread to the people. The followers obeyed him. The followers also had a few small fish. Jesus gave thanks for the fish and told the followers to give the fish to the people. All the people ate and were full. Then the followers filled seven baskets with the pieces of food that were not eaten. There were about 4,000 men that ate. After they ate, Jesus told them to go home. Then Jesus went in a boat with his followers to the area of Dalmanutha.

Related Scripture Readings

The next morning, Jesus woke up very early. Jesus left the house while it was still dark. He went to a place to be alone and pray. Later, Simon and his friends went to look for Jesus. They found Jesus and said, "All the people are looking for you!" Jesus answered, "We should go to another place. We can go to other towns around here. Then I can tell people {God's message} in those places also. That is why I came." So Jesus traveled everywhere in Galilee. He spoke in the synagogues. And he forced demons to leave people.

I plan to go through Macedonia. So I will come to you after I go through Macedonia. Maybe I will stay with you for a time. I might even stay all winter. Then you can help me on my trip, wherever I go. I don't want to come see you now, because I would have to leave to go to other places. I hope to stay a longer time with you if the Lord allows it. But I will stay at Ephesus until Pentecost. I will stay here, because a good opportunity for a great and growing work has been given to me now. And there are many people working against it.

Come near to God and God will come near to you. You are sinners. So clean sin out of your lives. You are trying to follow God and the world at the same time. Make your thinking pure.