Preschool
Remember Lot’s wife. Luke 17:32
The Lord Provides
Memory Verses
Primary
Remember Lot’s wife. Luke 17:32
Junior
Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. Luke 17:32-33
Background Scripture: Mark 6:30–56
Lesson Scripture: Mark 6:30–44
Introduction
The Lord cares about every aspect of our existence. He is keenly aware of us and interested in our well-being. We may sometimes think that He is only concerned with our spiritual welfare, but He looks after our physical, material, and emotional needs as well. If we humble ourselves and ask, our heavenly Father will always provide the best for our life.
Key Verse
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19).
Lesson Scripture
Mark 6:30 And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught.
31 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.
32 And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.
33 And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him.
34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
35 And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came unto him, and said, This is a desert place, and now the time is far passed:
36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.
37 He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?
38 He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
39 And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
42 And they did all eat, and were filled.
43 And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
44 And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
Studying the Lesson
The twelve apostles had just returned from their brief mission of evangelization. As they reported to Jesus all they had seen and done on their journey, the crowds of people seeking the Master pressed around them. With all the activity surrounding them, they were not given the chance to eat. The Lord saw that they were exhausted and suggested they go away from the crowds to rest.
Jesus and the apostles slipped away in a boat toward a more remote place. When the crowd saw them, they correctly guessed what was happening and ran after them on land, arriving first. When Jesus saw their determination, His heart was stirred, and He began to teach them.
As the hour grew late, the apostles asked Jesus to send the people away to get some food. Possibly this was motivated equally by practicality and their desire to be alone and rest. Jesus surprised them by telling them not to send the people away but to give them food to eat.
Astonished, and possibly embarrassed, the apostles replied that they did not have the means to feed such a large crowd. They had only five loaves of bread and two small fish. Jesus took the opportunity to teach a wonderful lesson on how He provides for those who seek Him. He commanded the people to sit down on the green grass, gave thanks for the food, and had His disciples distribute food to everyone present—truly an astounding miracle.
Jesus chose to be a servant though physically tired and imposed upon. He lovingly provided sustenance to all those who had gathered. The Lord’s care for mankind in the spiritual aspect of life is closely tied to how He cares for our natural needs. When Jesus took pity on the multitude, He not only fed them spiritually, but He fed them physically as well.
Practical Truths for Today
No other miracle that Jesus performed while on earth made a more direct and immediate impact upon so many people. Today the Lord continues to provide for us in amazing ways as well. Not only does He richly supply our spiritual needs, He also continues to provide for our natural needs. God’s perfect heart is the heart of a father. When He sees our needs, He is moved by pity to help us in any way that is truly beneficial for us. He will not give us all our wants, but He has promised to provide all our needs. He even fulfills needs that we are not aware of.
We can all speak of times when the Lord has given us exactly what we needed, even at a time when we were not expecting it. Perhaps our spirit was strengthened by the song of an innocent child. Our eyes may unexpectedly have been opened to our need as we meditated upon the Scriptures. Or during a worship service our heart was touched in a special way, and our courage was renewed.
When the Lord provides for our physical needs, He does not often go beyond our necessities. Just as the meal that fed the 5000 was basic fare, so are His natural provisions for us today. We may be tempted to think that if we were truly where we should be in our spiritual life, we would be blessed with riches and possessions. However, the Lord knows the danger of acquiring too much of this world’s goods. He loves us enough to not give us things that would be detrimental to our spiritual health.
When we receive a gift from God, He gives it because He loves us. He does not give gifts to us because we have earned them. Among the multitude He fed, there may have been those who were less deserving. But His compassion was the same for all who sought Him. None of us merits His goodness, just as none of us truly deserves, or has earned, salvation. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8–9).
Because the Lord gives freely to us, we should give generously to others. What we have is not our own, and it is meant to be used and shared. For some people, good stewardship means to be so careful with their possessions that they are hardly willing to share them. They may earn a reputation as someone who does not loan tools or equipment without making the borrower feel uncomfortable. Jesus’s life and example teaches us differently. Though it is good to be careful with our possessions, the Lord is not pleased when in our heart we esteem earthly things more highly than the needs of our fellowman, especially our brethren. “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10).
Jesus’s concern to not send His followers away hungry and His provision for them are beautiful examples for us today. The gospel is not only a good story inscribed on a page. The gospel of Jesus is alive and is often best taught and expressed through our unselfish actions. When we selflessly share our homes, food, time, inspirations, and talents with those around us, we are sharing a living gospel. Jesus taught many good things to the 5000 people on the hillside, but what people remember about the incident was the practical act of kindness He showed them at the end of the day. This beautiful testimony validated the words He had spoken.
Sometimes by the end of the day we may think we are too tired for a time of fellowship. However, if we choose to deny ourselves and reach out to others, we are often more refreshed than if we had spent the evening selfishly. Inviting our friends and family for meals or social activities is commendable, but to include others outside this group is more commendable. Perhaps we feel that we may have nothing in common with those who are not near our age or who may not have similar interests. We may feel that it is best to avoid an uncomfortable setting. But with humility and willingness to let the Lord lead the conversation, He provides a way to dispel any discomfort. Inviting a variety of people into our homes is a richly rewarding experience for all.
As we meditate upon the generous nature of our Lord, may we all be willing to give ourselves as Christ did.
Questions
- Is everything we own a gift from God?
- Is there a need in my heart if I find it difficult to graciously accept a gift?
- What is the correct balance between generosity to others and providing for and spending time with my family?
- What is the difference between godly hospitality and social entertainment?
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).