Read Mark 5-8
How do you see your needs? How do you measure your resources? How do you respond to the storms of life? In Mark 6, the disciples respond to the events of the day with feelings of being overwhelmed, under resourced and afraid. What links the two stories of Mark 6:30-52 together is that Jesus does something totally unexpected, and it changes the lives of those around him forever. The disciples or anyone else ever dreamed what was going to happen when Jesus got a hold of that bread and those fish. Not one of the disciples expected Jesus to stroll up beside their boat, after they had rowed out some four miles and greet them in the middle of a storm. You’d think that by this point in time, the disciples would have figured it out… since when does Jesus do things in a way that anyone would expect?
Like the disciples, many of us, when confronted with challenging situations are quick to respond in doubt and fear, forgetting just how big our God is. So often our anxious moments keep us from recognizing that Jesus is in our midst. Just like the miracle of feeding the five thousand began with Jesus giving thanks for what he already had, God wants us to focus on what we already have in Christ and trust Him for the future, releasing our fears, concerns and cares into His hands.
- Bryan Hardwick is the Small Groups Pastor at Adventure Church
