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Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” John 6:8-9
How much is enough? A little boy once asked his father for a candy bar at the counter of a grocery store. Times were tough. The dad’s heart sank. Much as he’d love to give his son everything he wanted, the small amount of cash he had would barely pay for the families groceries. When he told the boy ‘not today’ the boy replied, “but daddy, it’s on sale. Appreciating the boy’s attempt at thriftiness, he replied, ‘Son, if it only costs a quarter but you don’t have a quarter it doesn’t matter how cheap it is.’
How much is enough?
The negative voices inside our heads answer that for us.
‘I’m not smart enough.’
‘I’m not thin enough.’
‘I’m not rich enough.’
And I love the ‘Christian versions’.
‘I’m not spiritual enough’
‘I don’t have enough faith.’
‘I don’t pray enough.’
‘I don’t study the Bible enough.’
Do a quick study of what the Bible says about how much is enough!
One day Jesus was teaching on a mountainside. It was getting late. The nearest town was a distance away. People were tired, the disciples were tired.
Then, Jesus suggested they all share a meal together. It was a preposterous idea! His friends looked at the situation and tried to explain it would take too much time. It would take too much food. There wasn’t enough.
A search for food turned up just five small loaves of bread and two fish, the perfect amount for small boy’s lunch.
What didn’t seem like enough to the over 5,000 people gathered ended up being more than enough when Jesus got involved.
What are the negative voices telling you? What don’t you have enough of? If Jesus can provide enough for over 5,000 people, I think he may just have enough for you.
Take the little steps. Trust him with the little things. Trust with the little things leads to bigger things! With Jesus, everything you have is enough.
The fig trees are forming young fruit, and the fragrant grapevines are blossoming. Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one! Song of Songs 2:13
Each spring I notice a rather interesting activity in the north country where I live. People are out walking! Now, you may say, what’s interesting about that? Just this. As spring turns into summer the numbers dwindle, there may be a slight uptick in the fall, but most of the time the number of walkers in spring is more than any other time of year?
Why, you may ask? Because winters are long, cold and dark. But when spring comes we can smell the freshness of new life. The air is full of the aroma of flowers. The birds sing in each morning with gusto. The winter is over. The time of new life and warmth is here!
As the year wears on, the heat increases and schedules get busier, somehow we fail to find time to walk, to enjoy the season we are in, to bask in the warmth of the sun.
Song of Songs is thought to be a love poem written between two lovers, but with pictures of our relationship with Jesus. In Song of Songs 2:13 the writer implores his lover to join him in a walk of sorts. To get up and smell the roses. To enjoy the new season before them.
Each new season is filled with challenges. Each new season is filled with the unknown. But this verse urges us to see the positive in each situation. We don’t know what lies ahead, but we walk with someone who loves us, protects us and longs to see us succeed.
Enjoy the ‘walk’ of this new year. Bask in the warmth of the SON. Enjoy the intimate fellowship of one who loves you more than you can imagine.
Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”Lamentations 3:21-24
Read through the book of Lamentations and you’ll see why the book gets its title. Lamentations, to lament, to live in despair and hopelessness.
Traditionally, the prophet Jeremiah is given credit for this book of poetry. It was written in a time of tremendous struggle for God’s people. They were under attack physically, politically and spiritually. It seemed as though God had either abandoned them completely or was unleashing his wrath on his people.
Yet, in the middle of this book there is an oasis so to speak. A refreshing reminder each of us can hold onto in perilous times. When the darkness is thick enough to cut with a knife; when it gets harder and harder to believe; when God seems angry, there is hope.
True hope, lasting hope has as its foundation, love. When the glitter and glitz of Christmas fades, when the turmoil in your heart seems too much to bear, remember these words of the prophet. No matter what struggle you find yourself in, God’s love for you is new every morning. Read that again. Every. Single. Morning.
You may have the dust from yesterday’s worries still on your shoes, but not God. Today is a new day. Today is a new day of love. Today is a day when you can remember there is hope. And if things are hard today? Tomorrow is another new day of hope because his love endures forever.
O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows. Psalms 130:7
It’s Christmas! For us as parents and grandparents it’s a ‘most wonderful time of the year.’ We look forward to seeing our children. We look forward to visits and hugs from the grandchildren. We anticipate the joy of the opening of brightly colored, wrapped packages.
But for many of us there is dark side to the picture, especially in our current economic situation. While we want to give our loved ones everything their hearts desire, there are limits to our ability to give.
I remember a couple of years growing up when my dad, a pastor at the time, would go to the Christmas tree stand on Christmas Eve to get our tree because they were either free or at a greatly reduced cost. He did the best he could with the limitations he had as an underpaid pastor with a family of five boys to feed and get gifts for.
Limits are hard. That’s why we dream of winning the lottery. Wouldn’t it be nice to be unlimited in what we could buy or do?
Human hope is limited. Not Godly hope. Human hope is dependent on the ability of others or ourselves to meet our dreams. Not Godly hope.
When we put our hope on the creator/sustainer of the universe the sky is the limit. It just keeps going. Need peace. He’s got more than you can imagine. Need forgiveness? You’ll never be able to use it up. Need some love? His love is higher that the highest mountain and deeper than the deepest sea.
This Christmas season, put your hope in the one who has unlimited resources available to you through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 