Month: August 2021

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”
John 6:8,9

Jesus Can Use Any Means

Daily Devotion – August 4, 2021

Devotion based on John 6:8,9

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“Is it a keeper?” If your fishing partner has to ask you that about the size of the perch that you’re holding up to the measuring tape, the answer is usually, “No.” If it’s not obvious, it’s likely not a “keeper.” And yet, fishermen like to brag about the size of their catch, no matter how small they are.

Which is why I find it interesting that when fisherman Andrew presented one little boy’s lunch as the disciples were searching for food to feed the hungry crowd, Andrew didn’t just comment on the quantity of fish; he also commented on the size of the fish. “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish.”

Have you ever said or felt something similar when you look at God’s providence in your life? You notice the number of gifts he provides, but you complain about the quantity or the size of those gifts. Your “five loaves and two fish” may be that you have a job, but you quickly qualify it by commenting on the “smallness” of that job, “Yeah, I’ve got a job, but it’s going nowhere.” Or maybe your “small fish” concerns your resident, “Yeah, I’ve got a house, but it’s small and needs a lot of work.” Or, “Yeah, I have my health, but my strength is nothing compared to what it used to be.”

What is the “small” fish in your life? When you throw those fish back because they’re not keepers in your eyes, remember what our God can do with “small” fish. He once used the smallest son of Jesse to become the greatest king in the history of his people. He once used a humble girl from the small town of Nazareth to be the mother of God. Look at Jesus himself. To the rest of the world, he looked like a small fish in a big pond of prophets. Yet, in reality, he was the only “keeper” when it came to be our Savior.

The means that God uses to provide for our lives may seem small. But be assured, nothing is small when those means are in the hands of our loving God.

Prayer:
Lord, give me confidence that no gift is small when it is used by you. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Philip answered [Jesus], “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
John 6:7

Worth More than Money

Daily Devotion – August 3, 2021

Devotion based on John 6:7

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What are your concerns in life? Go ahead, list your top ten. If I were a betting man, I’d bet that somewhere on your list is something to do with money. Oh, I’m not accusing you of having the love of money, which is the root of all evil. I’m not accusing you of poor management of the financial gifts that God has given you. Nor am I accusing you of not being content with those gifts. I’m just acknowledging that money is connected to almost every aspect of our lives and will consistently be on our minds. And if it’s on our minds, it will be one of our concerns.

When Jesus asked Philip where they should get the bread to feed the large crowd that had gathered on the mountainside of Galilee, Philip’s first concern wasn’t where to shop. He wasn’t wondering which market would have enough inventory to feed a sporting arena’s worth of people. He wasn’t wondering how they would transport the food. His first concern was how much will it cost? “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” (John 6:7).

Maybe Philip was exaggerating a bit. According to my calculations, in today’s money, it would cost approximately $2,500 to give each person a slice of bread. But if you gave each person a sack lunch consisting of a ham sandwich, bag of chips, and an apple, it would cost $33,000, which happens to be the average cost of a pre-Covid wedding in the United States. How would you like to pay for a wedding on the spot without having time to plan for it?

The point being, we can get caught up in the numbers, just like Philip. Whether it’s the cost of mortgage, groceries, tuition, cars, insurance, vacations, weddings, and more. Life isn’t cheap. But when we’re counting the cost of living, don’t forget that you can count on the One who promised to provide for you. You can count on Christ.

Prayer:
Lord, lead me to trust in you to provide for all my needs. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
John 6:5,6

Jesus Has a Plan in Mind

Daily Devotion – August 2, 2021

Devotion based on John 6:5,6

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If you grew up hearing Bible stories from your parents or going to Sunday School, you may have fond memories about the miracle of Jesus feeding 5,000 people on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. That miracle recorded in John chapter 6 often makes the list of top Bible stories.

If you’re not familiar, read John 6:1-15. If you are familiar, can you list the details of the story? Five thousand people (actually 5,000 men, plus women and children), five loaves and two fish, and plenty of leftovers are just a few of the details that quickly come to mind. But do you remember what was going through Jesus’ mind that spring afternoon as the crowds gathered on the mountainside?

When Jesus asked Philip, “Where shall we buy bread?” he wasn’t wondering whether Philip would say, “Kroger, Albertsons, or Walmart.” Rather, “He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do” (John 6:6).

Read that again: “he already had in mind what he was going to do.” Consider the comfort that detail brings to our daily lives. So often, we look for the miracle, or we wonder about the means. ‘How are we going to get through this challenge? Where am I going to get that necessity? How am I going to carry out this responsibility?’ Long before the miracle or the means becomes evident, our Savior already has in mind what he is going to do. At times he may make us wait before he acts. Jesus may test us prior to providing. But he always “has in mind” what he is going to do.

Treasure that thought today. If your life plans and activities don’t seem clear, know they are clear to your Savior. From before the creation of the world, he always had you in mind.

Prayer:
Lord, calm my heart of any uncertainties, assuring me that you always have a plan for me. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome.
Romans 1:15

Lost to History

Daily Devotion – August 1, 2021

Devotion based on Romans 1:15

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If you visit the city of Rome today and walk through its ancient ruins, what you’ll see are the remnants of massive, awe-inspiring stone structures—the amphitheater, the baths, the villas, the coliseum. And what a sight it is.

What’s easy to overlook is that Rome, in the First Century A.D., had upwards of one million people. And the vast majority of those people did not live in luxurious villas. They lived in small, multi-level apartment buildings.

Those apartment buildings were made of wood. More than a few of them were in ramshackle condition. And so living in such apartments often meant a constant fear of fire or collapse. The living conditions could be cramped, sometimes just one room per family. Many apartments had little or no natural light. And if you lived in the upper levels of the apartment, you had no access to water.

Perhaps most poignant of all is the simple reality that these tens of thousands of wooden apartments have long ago disintegrated and vanished—along with the names of the hundreds of thousands who lived in them.

Names lost to history? Yes. Names forgotten by the Lord? No.

Every soul that the message of the gospel brought to faith, every soul who came to trust in Jesus as Savior from sin through the power of the Holy Spirit—that soul’s name is written in the Book of Life. That soul is a fully forgiven child of God now basking in the presence of Jesus Christ forever.

Keep that in mind the next time you feel forgotten.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, in those moments when I feel anonymous and forgotten, remind me by your Holy Spirit that I am not. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.