click to Read the passage: Mark 6 (a new browser window will open)
V 35 1) A place of loneliness ... or a place of great presence
(This is a desert place)
(Come aside into a desert place)
Jesus is present in the desert place.
To be alone with Jesus is special. The desert place can be special.
How can we be lonely with Jesus present?
Know the sufficiency of His special presence.
Isaiah 30: 15 …In quietness and in confidence shall be your strength.
V 35 2) A place of shortness of time … or a place of great portion.
(and now the time is far passed.)
We measure time as so short. God measures it as sufficient.
We don’t measure time accurately by allocating it to the right priorities, thus, it seems to be short.
V 36,37 3) A place of hopelessness… or a place of great potential.
(Send them away, ... ) (He answered and said unto them,
Give ye them to eat.)
Our assessment of our circumstances overshadows faith’s potential.
God may not have changed our circumstances yet, but there is Godly potential.
V 37 4) A place of doubt ... or a place of great peace.
(Give ye them to eat. And they say unto Him, shall we go and buy .... )
Isaiah 26: 3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon thee because he trusteth in thee.
If we doubt God’s sufficiency and revealed will, there will be no peace.
Doubting deprives us of our peace.
We are to trust in God’s matchless strength and might- to drive away fear and doubt.
God’s word is sure. Meditate on its sureness and peace will ensue.
V 39,40 5) A place of confusion …or a place of great perception.
( ... sit down by companies ... ranks ... )
God making preparation for the distribution of His resources. Where God is at work, there is order.
God had every detail worked out, there was a way for all needs to be met.
See Jesus as the answer, see His sufficiency, see His order.
V 38 6) A place of testing …or a place of great proof.
(how many loaves have ye?)
Emphasis is on what we have not what we don’t have.
1 Tim. 6: 8 and having food and rainment let us be therewith content.
Let God prove His ability and grace is greater than apparent supplies.
With God little is enough-for He will expand it into His great bounty.
V 39 7) A place of haste or a place of great patience.
(he commanded them to sit down …)
With God in control and knowing of God’s supply there is no need for hastiness.
Be patient and wait on the Lord. His supply is much more peaceable than our labors to attain.
V 37,41 8) A place of trial and error…or a place of great purpose.
(and they say ... ) (He looked up to heaven, and blessed, ... )
God has a cause, a purpose to be fulfilled.
God is not validating a preferred way but revealing the only way.
God was revealing eternal truths; eternal purposes.
God desires our view be heaven ward.
v41 9) A place of worry … or a place of great prayer.
(He looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke the loaves,… )
Jesus was never worried because He knew of heaven’s bountiful supply.
Jesus knew He had a hearing Father.
V 41 10) A place of prominence …or a place of great preeminence.
(He looked up to heaven …)
Christ is first, the only begotten Son of God. He was not just a leader but the preeminent Son of God.
Heaven recognized the Son, heard His petition, released its bounty.
v41 11) A place of need … or a place of great provision.
(heaven)
The desert ceased being a desert in the presence of the might of heaven.
The resources of heaven brought fruitfulness to the barrenness of the desert.
V 41 12) A place that is temporary ... or a place of great permanence.
(heaven)
Provision based upon heaven’s permanence.
Deserts in our life are temporary-look toward the unchanging, the changeless Christ.
Heaven’s stable bounty never changes irrespective of earthly uncertainties.
V 37,41 13) A place that is uncertain or a place that is of great perfection.
(shall we go ) (He looked up to heaven ... )
Desert amenities are uncertain; desert supply is limited. Desert solutions are not certain, not palatable, not exciting.
Everything that heaven has to offer is perfect.
V 41 14) A place of despair ... or a place of great promise.
(He looked up to heaven and blessed)
What are we going to do is the question of the desert?
The question of the desert is satisfied by heaven’s great promise.
Blessings are in heaven. Jesus partook of heaven’s offering.
V 37,41 15) A place of quietness … or a place of great pronouncement.
(give ye them to eat) ( ... and blessed ... )
Pronouncing heaven has supply; heaven is God’s storehouse.
Man’s needs are met by heaven’s supply of grace and goodness.
V 35,41 16) A place of slowness ... or a place of great promptness.
(time is far passed) (broke ... gave ... set before them)
The supply was there all the time just awaiting faith’s claim.
The supply was provided on time.
V 42 17) A place in question ... or a place of great propriety.
(and they did all eat)
How is not a consequential question in heaven.
Heaven is reliable, is trustworthy, is proven.
Heaven’s sufficiency is demonstrated.
v42 18) A place of distaste ... or a place of great pleasance.
(and were filled)
Desert is dry-no fruitly savor.
Heaven’s provision is delightful, tasty, pleasureable.
Every man was satisfied.
v42 19) A place of condemnation ... or a place of great pardon.
(they did all eat)
It is desert. There is none to eat
God’s merciful provision (bounteous) amidst desert surroundings.
You desire to be hungry-you wandered out in the desert-brought no food-or God’s compassionate heart and reward to those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11: 6
v42 20) A place of hunger or a place of great partaking.
(they did all eat)
Nothing wrong with hunger- be filled with right food.
The desert produces hunger-hungry men partake of food. Psalms 107: 36
God has such bountiful, rich supply to partake of.
2 Peter 1: 4 by which are given unto us …
v42 21) A place of error ... or a place of great precision.
(they did all eat)
God’s supply is adequate for every need. There is no misestimation in God’s Kingdom. What a challenging measure to the church’s decision making and practice.
V 35,42 22) A place of waste or a place of great profit.
(time is far passed) (they did all eat)
It is so profitable to seek God’s way.
It is so wasteful to conclude man’s way has merit.
It is so wasteful to try to squeeze life out of desert circumstances.
It is profitable to seek heavenly resources.
V 42 23) A place of ungratefulness or a place of great praise.
(and they did all eat, and were filled)
There is much to praise God for. A heart that experiences and understands God’s abundance will be a grateful heart.
Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness … Psalms 107
V 42,43 24) A place of lack ... or a place of great plenty.
(and they did all eat, and were filled.)
(And they took up twelve baskets full ... )
God’s supply is inexaustible. Believers should never tarry in seeking or asking in fear of short supply.
The supply of heaven shall never cease
The river of life shall never run dry. John 4: 14
v 43 25) A place of emptiness ... or a place of great possession.
(and they took up twelve baskets full)
There is emptiness in solutions offered in the desert
There is fullness of joy in heavenly possessions.
Heaven’s riches are real, are possessable, last, endure, give life.
Go away full of the Lord, with substance.
V 43 26) A place of reserve … or a place of great proportion
(and they took up twelve baskets full ... )
God is so gracious.
There is no reason to hold back-partake fully of heaven’s offering, all of it.
The servings of heaven are generous; There is more than enough.
There is more than you the believer can partake of.
V 44 27) A place of regression ... or a place of great progression.
(five thousand men)
Is the desert place a step backward?
It is forward march with heavenly provision in you.
A believer is readied to march on in service in the King’s army.
There is readiness in service, contentment in attitude, sufficiency in preparation, and strength that endures.
V 44 28) A place of wantonness ... or a place of great power.
(and they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.)+ women and children
There is no lack of heaven’s supply.
No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly
Psalm 84: 1
All power is available in heavenly places. Matthew 28: 18
God’s mighy power shall be displayed where there is great need for it.
Oh, that we might find need for God’s mighty power!
No comments:
Post a Comment