What Pressure Can do for you.
I am going to give you a stress test
today! At this point I assume you’re thinking….Thanks a lot, my entire week has
been stressful!
Ready?
Do you plan your day
unrealistically?
Are you the first to arrive and the last to leave?
Are you always in a hurry?
Do you never plan a day of relaxation?
Do you feel guilty doing anything other than work?
Do you see unforeseen problems as a setback or disaster?
Are you always thinking about several other things when working?
Do you feel the need to be recognized and overextend because of
this?
If you answered yes to
three or more questions, go home this afternoon and take a nap!
Today I want you to
think about what to do and what can we learn, “When the Pressure is on”
35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This
is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 Send them away to go
into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to
eat.”37 But he
answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said
to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred Denarii worth
of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you
have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and
two fish.”39 Then
he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass.40 So they sat down in
groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish
he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and
gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two
fish among them all. 42 And
they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken
pieces and of the fish. 44 And
those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.
Mark 6:35-44 ESV
When the Pressure is
on we learn:
1. Pressure Tests our
Faith in Jesus. The hour was late, they were in a lonesome place. Often we
seem to allow life's Pressure, life's location, life's late hour, to draw
assumed conclusions, to add a finality that God never intends! We look at
quickly at what we have, then look, a long time at what we don’t have, and
decide that because of our location, or past, we shouldn’t or can’t expect
anymore, and so we don’t! Yet we should, because God is for you!
2. Pressure turns our
focus on Jesus. Only John records the presence of the little boy. Loaves = Wafer. Fish = little
pickled fish like a sardine.
He was willing to share
what he had! Anything you transfer to Jesus can be transformed by Jesus! What
that little boy had was valuable because it was available! 12 grown men
said it can’t be done! But the boy believed! We need the faith
like a child! Never doubt what God can do! Never deny God
whatever he asks you to give him/ He is in the multiplication
business!
3. Pressure teaches us
facts about Jesus. 41 And taking the five loaves
and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke
the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he
divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and
were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of
broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the
loaves were five thousand men.
His ample provision, gives us needed
perspective that the same Lord Jesus Christ, knows what you need it, when you
need it!
“We celebrate abundant provision, but rarely are we equally
amazed at the God who so intimately knows are needs that He provides perfectly,
no more no less than what we need. When we take into account this intimacy, the
miracle of perfect provision might be the greater of the two.” - Michael Card,
from the book Mark, The Gospel of Passion, contrasting Jesus
and His feeding of the 5,000 with the 12 baskets left over, that provided lunch
for the disciples!
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