God is Love

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. Mark 6:30-34 NIV

I love the Bible! God's word is amazing! Don't we love mysteries and puzzles? There is no greater mystery than the Bible. We will never in our lifetimes be able to absorb or figure out even a fraction of the contents.

Are you curious about it? Do you want to start reading but aren't sure where to start? I would suggest start with Jesus. The entire Bible (yes old testament too) points to our savior. The one who gave his life for us. His life and ministry are found in the gospels at the vary beginning of the new testament - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. After that, you won't be able to help yourself from reading Acts which is an action packed adventure about what happened to the world after Jesus left. After that, head over to the Psalms where you can express your praise and worship to the everlasting, all powerful God. Let me know if you are picking up the Bible for the first time and I'll read along with you.

Okay, so anyway, I digress. This portion of Mark is so filled with crazy miracles and happenings that my brain is going in a million directions. What blows my mind most about the Bible is when I get a clear picture of my life and how much God loves me anyway.

My heart is so bitter toward these people in the story. Don't they care about anyone but themselves? Don't they see that Jesus doesn't want to be around people right now? They aren't there to ask how he's doing after just receiving the news that his cousin's head had been brought into a prominent party on a platter. "You've been through a rough time, how can we help?" No, they were there to suck the life out of him. They were needy. If I were Jesus, I would turn the boat around and just hang out in the middle of the lake where no one could get me. My alone time is so precious to me.

What were Jesus thoughts as the boat approached the shore with 10,000 people waiting for him? Did he wrestle with his wants vs the people's needs? Did he pray with the disciples? What did the disciples' conversations sounds like? They had just gotten back from traveling around telling people about God and performing miracles. Then, they took care of John the Baptist's body and had to break the news to Jesus. They must have been exhausted.

Jesus had compassion on the crowd because he saw their need. In Matthew, it said he healed their sick. He taught them until well into the evening. He fed them all with 5 loaves and 2 fish. Side thought: how many people withheld their food? Only one boy in 10,000 people had food? Seriously? What are we withholding from Jesus? What could he do with it if we handed it over?

The disciples kept up with their teacher. They sat and listened. They handed out food. Where did their strength come from? How could they go on? In the Psalms it says my help comes from the Lord. Second Corinthians 12:9 says, "My grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness."

Once all the people had eaten, Jesus sent them away and then he got his down time. He sent the disciples on ahead of him and he spent time alone praying. I don't know about you, but once my daily duties are complete, I get into my comfy clothes and sit like a zombie in front of the TV, binge watching my favorite show.

Oh Lord, I want to be like Jesus. When my childen come to me, may I see their need over my own desires. May I rely on you for rest in busy times. Give me wisdom to see the moments that could be spent alone with you and give me courage to stop what I'm doing and run to you.

When Jesus was finished praying, he walked on the water to catch up with the disciples in the boat. What supernatural powers does God want to grant to us after having spent some time with him? There is only one way to find out...

Okay, so here's what I'm going to do. Starting this Monday, January 25 I am going to give my evenings to God. Here's what that looks like for me: Get the kids down at 8:00 or so. Get into my comfy clothes and make hot tea. Snuggle into my quiet time chair with a blanket, my Bible, my journal, My Utmost for His highest by Oswald Chambers, and The Evangelist which is a book about Billy Graham. Read, study, pray until I'm ready for bed. I'm going to do it for one week and see what happens. I will be missing my friends on Blue Bloods so much! I'm not sure they can get along without me.


Who dares to try this with me? Let me know if you are going to do it and what show you are going to be missing.
Do you need prayer for something that I can include during my quiet time? You don't need to share specifics unless you want to, just let me know that you need prayer and I'm on it!