Friday... Let's not minimize what can be done through us.

John 6:9 (NLT), "There's a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd."

It is so easy in life to minimize what we do. It really is.

Now there was this woman who got up early on this particular morning and probably every morning. She knew that her son had a great adventure planned for his day but she also knew that he had to eat so she went into her kitchen and got a few loaves of bread and some fish for her son to take on his adventure. Listen, don't ever minimize what you do. She did it because she knew her son would need it.

Do you wake up each morning and minimize what you do? Well, it is so easy to do, isn't it?

So, this young man headed out. He was going to see Jesus but when he got there, there was a huge crowd. John 6:10a says "The men alone numbered about 5,000." And of course there were way more than that. But this young man had some food because his mother prepared it for him.

Verses 5-6 says, "Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, 'Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?' He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do." You see he had this mother.

Again, let's not minimize what can be done through us.

There also was another person who did something small but that God used to do something great.

Verses 8-9 says, "Then Andrew, Simon Peter's brother spoke up. 'There's a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd." Yes, he minimized what he knew but Jesus used what he knew and what he shared with him.

Again, let's not minimize what can be done through us.

Now that mom, that son, that disciple did not realize what they had to offer and what a difference it was going to make that day.

Again, "he already knew what he was going to do." You see, Jesus had this mother, this son and this disciple. And he also has us. And yes, his plan is to use us each and everyday. So, let's not minimize what can be done by God through us each day if we are faithful to do what he's given us the opportunity and responsibility to do.

By the way, after Andrew told Jesus what he knew and after Andrew minimized what he knew, verses 10-11 says, "'Tell everyone to sit down.' Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterwards he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted." And they were all full and there also were leftovers, of at least twelve baskets full."

What a story that son had to tell his mom. Yes God used her to feed over 5,000 people.

Again, let's not minimize what can be done through us by God if we are faithful to do what he has given us to do. Mom, don't minimize what you do, dad, don't minimize what you do and also don't minimize what you know. It is God's plan to do amazing things through us if we are just faithful. Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

Tuesday... I wonder what would happen if we didn't take the credit?

Nehemiah 6:16b (NLT), "They realized this work had been done with the help of our God." Tuesday... I wonder what would happen if we didn't take the credit? Over in the Old Testament in the book of Nehemiah it tells of a major task that through the leadership of Nehemiah was accomplished. The walls of Jerusalem had been torn down and God had laid it on Nehemiah to build those walls back up. It was definitely an almost impossible task but Nehemiah 6:15-16 says, "So on October 2 the wall was finished - just fifty-two days after we had begun. When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God." Now, we so many times want to take credit for doing the impossible. It would make such a difference for us. But I wonder what would happen through us if God got the credit? Psalm 96 tells us what we are to do. Verses 2-3 says, "Sing to the LORD; praise his name. ...

Tuesday... We just have trouble listening.

1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT), "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." Tuesday... We just have trouble listening. Over in Jeremiah 25:4 (NLT) it says, "Again and again the LORD has sent you his servants, the prophets, but you have not listened or even paid attention." And Jeremiah went on to tell what was going to happen. There will be consequences if we do not listen to what God says through his Word. Now the Apostle Paul over in 1 Corinthians was having a problem with some professed Christ followers who were having trouble at listening. And we too can have problems at listening. We can think that being a Christ follower means we do a lot of finger pointing and we give up on people who don't do what we say. We can even do that in our families. But Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT), "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." In verse ...

Thursday... Yet, now this is true.

Colossians 1:22a (NLT), "Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body." Thursday... Yet, now this is true. Now Paul a prisoner in Rome is writing a letter to a church in Colossae. And in Colossians 1:21 (MSG) he says, "Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds" The NLT says "This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated by your evil thoughts and actions." And that is where so many in this world live today. They are blowing it and they don't know what to do. Yes, they are hostile in their minds and they are engaging in evil deeds but there is Good News. Now Paul in verses 19-20 sets the stage for an answer to those who don't want to live that way. He says, "For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and earth b...

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