My Daily Pause

As Jesus was preparing to feed the 5000, the disciples acted just like most people we know. They were convinced there was nothing they could do about the crowd and therefore didn’t do what they were told. (John 6:1-15) They resisted at every point:

Jesus feeding a crowd with 5 loaves of bread and two fish – Early 1600’s – Bernardo Strozzi

“There is not enough money”

“Send them away”

“What is five loaves to so many?”

One thing jumps out of the text for me: Nothing wonderful happened until the disciples quit making excuses and got to work organizing the people.

It is human nature to avoid difficulty. That fear is what keeps you from stepping into traffic. That fear is also what keeps you from doing great things.

In this event, we not only see Jesus performing an extraordinary miracle, but we see the Master Teacher at work, training the disciples for the difficult life ahead of them. Sometimes obedience still has to happen even when there is no clarity in the outcome.

Spreading the Gospel is a little like that for us isn’t it? Convincing the world that the Lord has the “bread of life” is difficult beyond our abilities.

But …

If we would only guide them to him …
be an example of faith …
and prepare them for the great things to come …

He will take care of the rest!

I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. – 1 Corinthians 3:6

Daily Bible reading for November 11

Psalm 102
2 Kings 11
Malachi 2:10-17
John 6:1-21

At first glance, it was not clear to me why the episode of Jesus and the Samaritan woman is included in the gospel. (John 4:1-42) Jesus was tired, hungry and thirsty from traveling. There are no miracles here. People gathered around him wherever he went. Nothing out of the ordinary, if you’re Jesus.

Then I looked at it from the standpoint of the gospel being for all people, in this case, Jew and Gentile. There is still more here than that, though. Looking still deeper, I see standalone instruction on how to bring someone to Christ. It is the ultimate demonstration that God is no respecter of persons.

Giacomo Franceschini – Gesù e la Samaritana al pozzo – 17th or 18th century

The Samaritan woman embodies everything that Christ is not:

• male vs. female
• God vs. man
• wisdom vs. ignorance
• pure vs. immoral
• Jew vs. Gentile

And yet … Jesus reveals to her who he is. Through his love and kindness he convinces her and those in her village that he is Christ. He didn’t even wait until an opportunity came to work it into the conversation. He just started teaching. We see her belief grow from his being a Jew that she is wary of, (John 4:9) to Sir, (John 4:11) to profit, (John 4:19) and finally the Christ. (John 4:29) This realization spread to the others and they desired him to stay with them. Jesus shows us how simple the gospel is. He shows us how so many already have a basic idea of who he is. We only need to lead them the rest of the way. When was the last time you mentioned Jesus in a conversation?

Daily Bible reading for November 8

Psalm 99 2 Kings 8 Zechariah 12-13 John 4:1-42

In Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus, he pronounce a judgment on those who choose not to believe and obey. Jesus brought the light into the world,

…and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. – John 3:19

Those who work hard to do what is right are often scoffed at or teased or otherwise discouraged from trying to improve. This isn’t just Bible things we are talking about – we also see it with those trying to be financially responsible and even those that want to build their own business rather than work for a company.

The light is where safety and goodness live

It is human nature to not want someone else to expose our shortcomings, but what Jesus describes in John 3:19-21 is a warning of the ultimate shortcoming. As we continue to grow and mature in Christ we need to be strong enough to bring others with us and not let ourselves be influenced by them.

From personal observation, the places we have to be careful when we expose ourselves in the light are things like:

• Someone calling us a “legalist” when we are simply trying to obey God’s word
• Someone trying to cast doubt on the Bible because it is “written” by men
• Someone trying to change our views because it doesn’t agree with the popular opinion

These are very persuasive arguments that cause many to change their opinion without consulting their Bible. The metaphor of the light is spot on in how the world reacts to exposure to God’s word. They refuse to examine themselves and refuse to grow.

God loved us enough to send his son, (John 3:16) let’s return the favor by doing what is true (John 3:21)

Daily Bible reading for November 7

Psalm 98
2 Kings 6:24-7:20
Zechariah 11
John 3:22-36

What if a farmer planted his fields, watched it grow and mature into produce but never harvested it? What if he only contemplated how the seeds sprout and refused to enjoy the fruit until he understood?

A farmer doesn’t try to understand how his crop grows before he goes to harvest.

This would be one hungry farmer!

Jesus compared that situation to people trying to understand the kingdom of heaven. In Mark 4:26-29, Jesus points out that our farmer never has to understand completely how a seed sprouts. He needs only to complete the steps required by nature to make a crop.

When Nicodemus asked “How can these things be?” he became the hungry farmer. (John 3:9) Jesus’ rebuke shines light on those who hear the gospel but fail to respond. (John 3:10-15) Nicodemus, of all people at the time, should have understood what Jesus was teaching since he was a well-educated “ruler of the Jews.”

There are many that will fail to respond to the gospel because they do not understand everything the Bible teaches. Like Nicodemus, they will fail to respond to that first step of faith. Like the farmer that fails to harvest, their soul will starve.

Daily Bible reading for November 6

Psalm 97
2 Kings 6:1-23
Zechariah 10
John 3:1-21

The Gospel of John is proof of Christ’s deity. It is proof of his love for us. John’s main appeal is for us to believe that. He selected seven of Jesus’ miracles that demonstrated his authority over the elements and even death. Through his works, he proved he was the son of God and how much he cares for us by:

Marriage at Cana – 1596 – Marten de Vos (1532–1603)

• changing the water into wine (John 2:1-12)
• healing the officer’s son (John 4:46-54)
• healing the lame man (John 5:1-17)
• feeding the 5,000 (John 6:1-14)
• walking on the Sea of Galilee (John 6:16-21)
• healing the man who was born blind (John 9:1-12)
• raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:38-44)

Sometimes when one is down, when faith is slipping, or burdens seem heavy, a little refreshment is needed. The Gospel of John is the place where we can find Jesus love and concern for us. Whether though providing for our well-being or weeping for a dead friend, Jesus’ compassion for each one of us should lift us out of the darkest of times.

Daily Bible reading for November 5

Psalm 96
2 Kings 5
Zechariah 9
John 2