A Daily Purpose

Bible Study & Devotional Day 90

Read Today’s Assigned Passages

Guiding Scripture:Luke 9:11-17

🔴 In Orderly Fashion

written by: Torrie Slaughter

Our God is a God of order. I’m not sure about you, but I’m not always myself when I’m hangry—anger caused by hunger. The crowds willingly followed Jesus, and He was filled with compassion for them. His disciples only offered one solution: to purchase food from the nearby town (with the knowledge they wouldn’t have enough money). 

But God!

Our all-knowing Abba Father had a different remedy.

• First: the supply- who had food to offer?
• Second: organization- the disciples, told everyone to sit in groups of fifty.
• Third: the prayer- offering thanks for what they had. Jesus continued to break bread and divide fish until everyone had their fill.
• Fourth: the disciples worked by picking up all the leftovers.

Jesus taught a powerful lesson about honoring God. We can praise God for what we have and ask our Lord to bless it. We worship a living God and One Who can create plenty out of our insignificant offerings.

Proverbs 9:9 Instruct a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

After Jesus ascended into Heaven, leaving the Holy Spirit, the Apostles continued to teach and grow in wisdom. Humans have the great responsibility to subdue the earth we rule by serving each other with love. We may need to find creative ways to solve problems but at the core is God. The choice to include Him in our every decision of good or evil is a blessing or a curse.

The disciples were standing with the Son of God. They did not consider Him as a resource to solve the problem. A dilemma Jesus proposed to them. (The disciples wanted everyone to fend for themselves by releasing them into the nearby towns. Imagine working in a restaurant, and 500 tour buses pull in at the same time!)

Compassion

Jesus made a choice and set an example of what they were to do in the future. Feed His sheep. In that way, we also see another side of His humility. He did not assume a place of prestige or being the Ultimate Giver. He taught a lesson within a lesson about how we can conduct ourselves in need or plenty.

The next time you are faced with a decision that will impact a multitude or a few, remember Jesus.

This devotional was written by Torrie Slaughter the founder of Our Given Purpose® in the Commonwealth of Virginia.