Game Changers: Devotions for Families Who Play Different (Age 13-18)ਨਮੂਨਾ

Feeding Thousands

Ready: Matthew 14:13–22

Set:

Have you ever received news that was really hard to hear? That’s what happened to Jesus just before this Scripture passage. Jesus had just heard that His cousin, John the Baptist, had been killed. He took a boat to a private place, but many people heard that and followed Him. At this point in His ministry, Jesus was known as an amazing teacher and healer. Crowds began to follow Him wherever He went. This day, even though He was dealing with the loss of His cousin, He welcomed and had compassion for the crowd and didn’t make them go away. He spoke to them and healed many that were sick. As the evening waned, He asked His disciples to find food to help feed the multitude. The disciples told Jesus there was no way they could provide enough food for the thousands of people there (5,000 men, plus women and children).

At this point, Jesus had the disciples gather up any food they could find, and they didn’t find much. They had only five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus took the food, looked up to heaven, and blessed the food, then handed it out to the disciples to distribute. Everyone there ate and was satisfied, and the disciples gathered all the food left over and discovered they had 12 baskets full of leftovers. In a situation that seemed desperate and impossible, Jesus not only met the seemingly insurmountable need, but He also provided more than was needed.

There is no situation we can ever face that is bigger than our God. We follow the same Jesus who fed thousands of people with a little bit of bread and a couple of fish. And He has promised never to abandon us. We don’t have to face anything alone. We may not always understand what He’s doing, but we can trust He knows best and can do even more than we can imagine.

Go:

1. Is it hard to believe Jesus performed this miracle and fed thousands of people? Why or why not?
2. What might the disciples have been thinking? What do you think they thought afterwards?
3. Why do you think Jesus wanted the crowd to stay and be fed instead of being sent off to find their own food?
4. How might it affect your life if you lived every day believing that God was with you, no matter what you faced?
5. Jesus wanted to be alone after hearing about the death of His cousin, but instead, he has compassion on them. Discuss a time you had to do something when you didn’t feel like it. Why do you think Jesus felt compassion? What does that teach us about Jesus?

Workout:

Ephesians 3:20-21; Psalm 112:7; Psalm 33:4

Overtime:

“Lord, You can do anything. Build my trust in You so that when I am unsure, I can be sure in You. Thank You that You know best and for providing all that I need. In Jesus’s name, amen.”