Greatness: Matthew 14-20Sample

I enjoy reading books written by missionaries because they talk about all the amazing things God has done and is doing in their part of the world. Often, for us in the West, we think that these things would never happen in Australia.

In the passage today, Jesus heals many. He heals “the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others.” These are all amazing individual miracles. But after this, when the crowd are exhausted from travelling, waiting in line, and hungry, Jesus performs another miracle. This one is for everyone present. From seven loaves and one fish, He is able to feed 4000 men, plus women and children. That’s likely to be about 8000 to 10,000 people.

What I love about this miracle is that it is for everyone. When something happens to you, you tend to be more emotionally attached to it, recall it more easily, and be more deeply impacted. I have a friend who, as a non-Christian, prayed to God saying, “If you are real, please remove all my warts.” The next morning, when she woke up, they were all gone. I know this story and was moved by it, but I was not impacted in the same way my friend was. Every time she looks down at her hands, she has a reminder.

The crowds following Jesus saw many being healed, which would have been incredible to witness. And for those who were healed, it would have been life changing in so many ways. But everyone had their hungry bellies filled. Everyone there would have remembered this and been reminded of it whenever they were hungry again.

God has miracles for all of us. They are not just for those in the overseas mission field. And I am not just talking about finding a parking spot. We can believe for much more than that. What about the miracle of unsaved family and friends coming to God? I have no idea what miracle you are wanting, but I do know that you need to seek God for it with faith as small as a mustard seed.

Today, ponder this: What miracles are you praying for? Do you believe God can perform miracles in this day and in your place? What is holding you back from praying for miracles?