Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” Matthew 14:16

A young boy came home from church and announced with great excitement that the lesson had been about a boy who “loafed and fished all day.” He, of course, was thinking of the little boy who offered his loaves and fish to Jesus.

Jesus had been teaching the crowds all day, and the disciples suggested He send them into the village to buy bread. Jesus replied, “You give them something to eat” (Matthew 14:16). The disciples were perplexed for there were more than 5,000 to be fed!

You may know the rest of the story: a boy gave his lunch—five small loaves of bread and two fish—and with it Jesus fed the crowd (vv. 13–21). One school of thought contends that the boy’s generosity simply moved others in the crowd to share their lunches, but Matthew clearly intends us to understand that this was a miracle, and the story appears in all four gospels.

What can we learn? Family, neighbors, friends, colleagues, and others stand around us in varying degrees of need. Should we send them away to those who are more capable than we are? Certainly, some people’s needs exceed our ability to help them, but not always. Whatever you have—a hug, a kind word, a listening ear, a brief prayer, some wisdom you’ve gathered—give it to Jesus and see what He can do.

By:  David H. Roper

What’s one need of another person that you may be able to meet? What can you give to Jesus to be used to bless others?

Jesus, give us eyes to see the ways we can care for others. Lead us and use us.

This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name. Acts 9:15

I’ll never forget the time I took my future wife to meet my family. With a twinkle in their eyes, my two elder siblings asked her, “What exactly do you see in this guy?” She smiled and assured them that by God’s grace I had grown to be the man she loved.

I loved that clever reply because it also reflects how, in Christ, the Lord sees more than our past. In Acts 9, He directed Ananias to heal Saul, a known persecutor of the church whom God had blinded. Ananias was incredulous at receiving this mission, stating that Saul had been rounding up believers in Jesus for persecution and even execution. God told Ananias not to focus on who Saul had been but on who he had become: an evangelist who would bring the good news to all the known world, including to the gentiles (those who weren’t Jews) and to kings (v. 15). Ananias saw Saul the Pharisee and persecutor, but God saw Paul the apostle and evangelist.

We can sometimes view ourselves only as we have been—with all of our failures and shortcomings. But God sees us as new creations, not who we were but who we are in Jesus and who we’re becoming through the power of the Holy Spirit. O God, teach us to view ourselves and others in this way!

By:  Peter Chin

How can you begin to better view yourself and others in light of who you are in Christ today? How does it encourage you to know God isn’t through growing and refining you?

Heavenly Father, help me to find my full identity in You. Allow me to humbly see others through Your eyes of grace!

Scripture: Matthew 18: 1-4

Verse For Today: Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19: 14)

There are times when we simply do not know what to do, no matter how old we are of how mature we might be. In those moments, we want to trust in God, but it’s often difficult to actually step out in faith.

During World War II, the King of England ordered an evacuation of children from the bomb-torn areas of London. Since many of the youngsters had never been away from home before, they were upset. A mother and father put their young son and daughter aboard a crowded train and said good-bye.

The little girl began to cry. She told her brother she was scared because she didn’t know where they were going. Brushing his tears away, he put his arm around her to comfort her. “I don’t know where we’re going either,” he said. “But the King knows.”

Many of us feel uprooted, unwanted and alone. But though we may not always understand the feelings of our family, our peers or society in general, we can trust in the fact that God understands and knows where we are and where we are going. After all, if we trust, God is doing the leading. By trusting and loving God, we can be assured that someone knows where we are at all times and is watching over us.

Holy Parent, take my hand in the confusion of being lost, rejected, or just feeling like I’m floating alone. I’m confident that You know where I am!