Matthew 14:21
   This was quite a multitude! The low estimate for the total population of the crowd is in the neighborhood of eight thousand. The high estimate is as much as twenty thousand. It really depends upon how many of the men had wives with them, and how many children were present. Given Jesus’ popularity with children, and the presence of many persons who had been healed, ten thousand is probably a safe number. My guess is that the actual total was around thirteen or fourteen thousand.

Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 21:1-23:32

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:15 “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer, and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I just thank You so much for life. Life through Your Son is such a blessing! It is so wonderful to know that I have a limitless well of abundant life springing inside of my soul. I cannot ever thank You or praise You enough. You have changed life from being some kind of a sick joke to being a grand and glorious delight. Without You, nothing would make any sense, and I would be a very sad person. But, You make me something better. You give me hope and the ability to, through Your Son, be a very good person. Thank You! Though I cannot do it on my own, I really like being good. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for our missionaries as they proclaim the gospel all over the world. Pray for our national leaders as they direct our country. Pray for a missionary couple going on a survey trip to Guyana in October.

Journal Entry #13232

Matthew 14:20
   This miracle is, for many reasons, one of the most difficult for people to believe. Think of it. You have bread and fish instantly being produced out of thin air. There is no way to prove that there was some illusion to this. Indeed, many have claimed that the people had food with them all along, and that seeing Jesus try to feed everybody with such a small amount caused them to share. Of course, the fact that he had the whole group sit down first makes that hypothesis obviously false. If the disciples had not had enough food to go around, this would have been very apparent very quickly.
   Thus, this miracle is unarguably amazing. Some might ask about the twelve baskets of leftovers. They might try to say that the number twelve has some special significance, and that is thus why there were twelve left over. However, the answer is quite simple. There were twelve disciples! They gathered fragments until the baskets they had were full. There were possibly more left overs, but there were no more disciples! This is the most likely explanation for twelve baskets.
   Many may cry foul, asking where the disciples got baskets from in the middle of the desert. This is where sharing comes in. Though Jesus could have just as easily produced baskets out of thin air as much as food, this is not likely the case. The Jews would sometimes carry baskets with them when they were travelling, and among five thousand (plus women and children) you can be sure that there were at least twelve baskets to go around.

Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 17:1-20:8

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:15  “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your provision and Your leading. You know just what needs to be done, and just when to do it. May we always be ready for Your timing. Sometimes You do a lot of moving all at once. You move as You know is best. We always can be confident that You are the in control. Father, You are altogether wonderful. May Your praise be forever on our lips and in our hearts. Your Spirit fills us with a song of joy in spite of the problems of life. It is so much fun to see what You will do, and how You will do it. Thank You for providing just what is needed. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man recovering from liver surgery. Pray for a woman who is not feeling well. Pray for an elderly woman who has serious health issues.

Journal Entry #13231

Matthew 14:19
   There have been those in the past who have found it rather artificial or awkward to pray with one’s eyes closed. Indeed, some say that this only draws attention to oneself in public places. Although our prayers should never be designed with the purpose of drawing the wrong kind of attention, there is nothing wrong with closing your eyes to pray. In this case, Jesus lifts his head to heaven. Many might dislike this, thinking that there is no reason to think that heaven is in that direction. Apparently they have a better understanding of the construction of the universe than does Christ.
   Closing one’s eyes, bowing one’s head, lifting one’s hands, looking up, etc., are all good ways to pray. It is important to make the difference between prayer and other activities apparent. It is important to be serious and God-honoring in our praying. If Jesus did it, surely it is not too much to ask from us. Indeed, maybe, since we are under him, we should bow upon our knees and put our faces to the ground. Either way, to honor the Lord by making a difference between regular discourse and prayer is important.

Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 15:1-16:43

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:14 “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.“

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for this morning. You give us a new opportunity every day to live for You. You bring the new day to us and show us all of Your mercies. May we respond to Your new day with a new attitude. May we have a new and fresh sense of Your greatness. May new praises be found in our mouths. Indeed, if anything will be made new, You will make it so. You are the source of renewing. I love You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a young girl who is going to have testing done for leukemia. Pray for a man who is extremely depressed.

Journal Entry #13230

Matthew 14:18
   Whatever we may have in our hand we must bring it to Christ. This is the lesson for us in this passage. It is easier for us today maybe to see that the disciples should have had more faith. But yet, today we tend to have confidence in ourselves. We do not always take our problems to the Lord, we think we can handle them. Though confidence can be a good thing, we must realize how totally dependent upon him that we are.
   Everything is in his hands anyway. This is what we must understand. At the beginning he gave us the dominion over this world. We lost it through sin. By bribing things to him, and giving them over to him, we recognize his authority and dominion, and at the same time regain our power over the elements. Putting things back into the pre-fall order empowers mankind to do the will of Almighty God. We are the change agents. We are the rulers. But, we must humbly submit ourselves to the Maker of this universe, or else we are nothing.

Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 12:1-14:17

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:14 “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your power. You are always ready to help us be what You would have us to be. You are constantly calling us to live a more abundant life in Your service. You pull us out of ourselves and set us up on higher ground. Help us to remember that You are the one we should bring everything to. You own us. As Your children, our souls are the home of the Holy Spirit MORE than our souls are our home. He fills us with something infinitely greater that causes our souls to be free, to be released to a greater existence. The potential of the Christian spirit energized by the Holy One is seemingly limitless. Thank You Lord for the life that You have given us through Your Son. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for churches all over the world as they have services today.

Journal Entry #13229

Matthew 14:17
   The disciples decide to let the facts settle in. They give the Master the true reality of the situation. They stated the problem in its raw form. They thought he would surely see things their way if the told him how much food they had. But, Jesus already knew, of course.
   We have a similar story at the end of 2 Kings 4. There Elisha is involved in a miracle where one hundred men are fed by twenty loaves of bread and a few husks of corn. The servant of Elisha was, in this case, downright incredulous when Elisha suggested the meal. The disciples had an even bigger disparagement of supply to believe in. However, if Almighty God is going to work a miracle, is it easier to believe that he will feed 5,000 men and their families with five loaves, or 100 men with twenty loaves? Neither is hard for God, if that is what he wants to do.

Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 9:1-11:47

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:14 “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for this amazing day! Your goodness is overwhelming. You are worthy of our devotion, Undying love and unending service are a pleasure to yield to You. You are mindful of such gifts, and You bless in response. Though You do not have to be this nice, You are. There are lots of things You don’t have to do, but You do them anyway. You are always right in Your actions and words. You are perfectly holy. It is refreshing to my soul to know You. Though I am in a body that will die, I feel alive, and am truly alive, because of You. Thank You for the Lord Jesus, who gives me life. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for an elderly lady who doesn’t get to come to church as much as she would like.

Journal Entry #13228

Matthew 14:16
   This is one of those beautiful teachable moments we find in the life of Jesus. He finds a circumstance in which to teach the disciples a great lesson. He challenges their doubt. He questions their perception of reality. He calls their thinking into a new direction entirely. He brings them to consider the eternal, rather than the temporal. He tells them to simply trust the problem to the One who can solve the problems.
   We often find that Almighty God leads in this way. Rather than plainly stating, “I’m going to make the food multiply,” Jesus asks them to do the impossible, and expects them to listen to him. Jesus knew he would be giving his disciples an even more difficult task later on, and they would need this great measure of faith to handle it. Just as Jesus here tells them to give food that they do not have, he later commissions them to spread the gospel to a world of people they have never met.
   Indeed, have you ever stopped to think about how amazingly impossible the gospel task is. We are to go to a world of people that we don’t know, tell them about a person we have never actually seen, and convince them that this invisible person can meet needs in their hearts that we don’t even understand. Yup, that’s impossible! But, that is no less impossible that feeding thousands of people with one basket of food. Jesus just looks at us and says, “Go ahead and do it.” He allows us to begin before he fills in the blanks. Amazing! Wonderful! Wise!

Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 7:1-8:40

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:13  “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.“

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You always know exactly what we need. You supply the Truth when we need it the most. You give us the answers right on time. Often we wonder about the way You do things, but it always makes sense in hindsight. We don’t see things the way You do, but we can always trust You. You are worth serving. Just the daily surprises that You bring our way are so nice. Thank You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man who’s kidneys are failing.

Journal Entry #13227

Matthew 14:15
   The time for eating was come and gone. There were no apparent sources of food in this desert place. The disciples did not have enough food to feed so many. Towns where food might be bought were available, but had to be reached by some travel. The disciples had not the money to go and buy for the multitude. It was a bad situation in the minds of the disciples. They were right to be concerned.
   However, the disciples followed the common pattern. We see a problem, and we come up with the most likely solution. We do not, however, always consider the possibility of Almighty God changing the circumstances. We do not consider the options that are available to him. Like Jesus’ mother at the wedding feast, the disciples could have been confident that Jesus had a solution to the problem. We should always assume that he knows what needs to be done, and has the power to do it.

Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 6:1-81

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:13  “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for this day. You are so gracious and kind to us. Your love for us is truly amazing and we can never completely grasp the depth of it. You consider all our needs, and have the resources to meet every one of them. You are worthy of our trust. We can depend upon You for everything, no matter how large or small it might be. You can handle it. Thank You for Your provision, and Your love. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man making career choices now. Pray for a woman having cancer treatments today. Pray for a man who needs medical attention and has spiritual issues. Pray for a woman having trouble with her heart.

Journal Entry #13226

Matthew 14:14
   One of the most amazing things that we discover about Christ is his feelings of pity for us. He has compassion upon the multitudes. This word ‘compassion’ cannot be taken to mean anything that does not involve feeling. So, though Jesus is God, he, as God, feels for us. This is something we often miss, or forget. Almighty God is a person, and he can feel. He has feelings just like us. And yet he is different because his feelings are perfect.

Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 4:1-5:26

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:13  “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your blessings. It is a comfort to know that You are a person. You are not just some inanimate force that cares not for us and our dealings. You know us and understand us. You are personal. You are real. You are a great comfort to us! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray fro a man getting his heart checked today.

Journal Entry #13225

Matthew 14:13
   One of the most amazing and oft-forgotten things about Jesus was his lack of love for publicity. We easily forget that Jesus did not seek out the limelight. He very carefully selected the times that he made himself public and caused others to take notice. On occasions such as the one we see in this verse, he actually seems to be moving away from the public eye, rather than towards it.

Bible Reading: 1 Chronicles 2:1-3:24

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:12 “Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own deeds were evil, and his brother’s righteous.“

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for Your many blessings. You give us family and friends. You give us church and school. You give us love and compassion. You give us life and health. You are so beneficent! How can we ever thank You for all of Your blessings? You are too wonderful to fully describe. You are so holy we cannot comprehend it entirely. And yet, You care for us. Thank You for Your Son that You sent to die for us. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for the wife of a man who is undergoing treatment for a nervous breakdown. Pray for a missionary making decisions about the field. Pray for an elderly woman who is in the hospital.

Journal Entry #13224

Matthew 14:12
   The disciples of John responded to his death in the best way possible. They properly buried their teacher, and they sought after Jesus, the master of their souls. Several considerations brought them to Christ. For one, they had nowhere else to go. Jesus was the only one teaching what John had taught. He was naturally the one they would want to see. Secondly, they felt that Jesus should be made aware of the situation. Although we may say that they should have figured Jesus already knew due to his divine knowledge, it was appropriate for them to tell him. We pray even though God already knows our needs before we ask. In the same way it was not wrong for these, who had followed John so faithfully, to come to Christ and talk to him about the situation. Finally, they realized the danger that Jesus himself faced in this uncertain time. Enemies abounded, and Herod Antipas could obviously not be trusted.
   It is after this event that Jesus begins to focus more on his disciples, and less on the crowds. It becomes more and more obvious now in the direction his ministry takes that the Jews were not going to accept him. The future church was his focus, and he spent much time preparing his group of men for the leadership that they would take on soon.

Bible Reading: 2 Kings 24:1-1 Chronicles 1:54

Scripture Memory: 1 John 3:12 “Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own deeds were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for this great day as William starts kindergarten. Help me to have a renewed sense of You, and to know You better every day. We all need to know more about You and Your world. Life lived to learn more of You and to serve You, and to live every minute for You, is wonderful and satisfying. You are worth living for. I long to know You better. Though I will spend my entire life learning of You and never finish, I will pursue You anyway. a relationship with You that is real and lasting is the most important thing in my life. Father, may we attain the goals we have set for ourselves as we pursue a life filled with the things of You. Father, You are our desire, and our life’s goal. Thank You for Your Son, Who has made our pursuit possible. I am so glad You sent him for us. I love You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Prayer Requests: Pray for a man having trouble with his shoulder. Pray for a woman preparing to have cancer treatments. Pray for a man making decisions about his future.

Journal Entry #13223