Be Still and Remember God — Scripture Reflection #009
Matthew 14:16-17; 15:33 (New Living Translation)
14:16 But Jesus said, “That isn’t necessary- you feed them.” 17 “But we only have five loaves of bread and two fish!” they answered.
15:33 The disciples replied, “Where would we get enough food here in the wilderness for such a huge crowd?”
In these parallel stories in the book of Matthew, we see Jesus showing compassion to the people He ministers to; He wants to feed them after a long day of ministry. In each story, Jesus is looking to fill the stomachs of thousands of people. When he asks the disciples to feed them, their reply is an incredulous (and understandable), “How?!”. How does Jesus expect them to provide for so many people?
I find it funny that even after the first time it happened, the disciples still questioned Jesus. Did they forget what He did for the last group? Did they not believe He could do it again?
I can relate to the disciples quite a bit. If I took a moment to reflect on all the times God has come through for me, all the times He has placed me in exactly the right spot at exactly the right time, I think that I would not panic so much in the face of prolonged uncertainty.
The fact is, God is faithful. He is more than capable of taking care of all our needs. It is up to us to remember how He has come through for us and for others, and then to trust Him with the situation when we do not know how it will play out.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10 NIV). Let’s be still and remember God today!
