Journey With Jesus 365Sample

The little faith of the disciples is shocking. They thought Jesus was rebuking them for not bringing bread, even though twice He had displayed His power—feeding 5,000 and then 4,000. He had told them, "Labor not or the meat which perishes", and that "man shall not live by bread alone". He taught that man should "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you". Yet, despite all of this, they thought He was concerned about their forgetting to bring bread.

Remember, though, that their faith, though small, was probably greater than ours. Let us resolve to fret less about bread and be more concerned with the things of God. That is the way of faith. God does not ask us to go without bread; He asks us to trust Him for it. We ought to pray about it: "Give us this day our daily bread"

Concerning the future, Jesus said, "Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink, nor yet for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body more than raiment?". Our Heavenly Father knows what we need.

If the disciples had meditated on the blessed experiences of the feeding of the 5,000 and the 4,000, they would have had more faith. If we count our blessings, meditate on what God has done for us in the past, and recall answers to prayer, we will grow in faith. Gratitude is the foundation for belief; faithlessness is the foundation for unbelief.

Praise begets faith. The more we thank God for His blessings of the past and glorify Him by remembering what He has done, the more sure we become that He will never leave us nor forsake us. His blessings will continue to those who trust Him. Had the disciples reflected on the blessings of the past, they would not have been fearful about bread. Instead, they would have praised God, confident that He could supply whatever was needed, if necessary.

The disciples were worried about bread, even though Jesus had already demonstrated His power to provide. Are there areas in your life where you are worrying about daily needs or future provision? How can you trust God more fully in those areas?

Reflecting on the disciples’ failure to recall God's previous miracles, how can you better meditate on God’s past faithfulness in your own life? How does remembering answered prayers and past blessings strengthen your faith today?

The devotion points out that gratitude builds faith. What specific blessings in your life can you thank God for today? How might taking time to thank Him for those blessings increase your trust in His provision for the future?

Jesus instructed us to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread." How can you cultivate a more confident and trusting attitude in your prayers for provision, knowing that God already knows your needs?