I was giving some way too studious seriousness to the 15th chapter of Matthew the other day, and I noticed how clueless the disciples were when 4,000 needed feeding. Their question: where we gonna get that much food.
A legitimate question for people like me.
The problem is they had just asked that same question one chapter earlier and Jesus had produced a whole bunch of happy meals and fed 5,000. So why would they be asking again? What, Jesus producing food to feed more than 5,000 folks with just five fish and a couple loaves wasn't memorable?
How could they be that, uh, dense?
Then I look around at all the folks I see and have seen all of my ministerial "career." I include myself, in fact I put myself at the front of the long line. What I see is we have so much trouble remembering the blessing that the next time the hardship comes, we're sure we will never survive it, never go through it, never make it to the other side.
Seriously.
While I was typing this morn, I listened to Josh Wilson sing these words:
Do you have to feel the things that hurt you
If there's a God who loves you, where is he now?
Maybe there are things you can't see
And all those things are happening to bring a better ending
Remember, remember, remember when He came through for you when you bump against the hardships one more time. Remember the pain, but remember the path more.
Jesus is there. I promise. I promise I remember myself.
I have been down about some things recently, and I forgot who makes the future, takes the present, and entered into my past. Then Sunday morning, some of the clouds lifted and I saw, saw mind you, the love of God come pouring back.
Matt Redman says he feels like dancing. So, too, do I at times. Even on Mondays. I could sing of his love forever.
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