Come Sit Awhile With Me
We live in a very fast-paced world with many urgent and non-urgent voices pulling on our time and energy. It becomes more and more clear that we need to be intentional about hearing the one voice that can answer all other voices - the voice of Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 14:10 There are so many kinds of voices in the world, and all have there own distinct power of expression and meaning
There is the voice of challenging circumstances, the voice of financial lack, the voice of sickness, the voice of deadlines - so many significant voices pulling us into a sense of urgency or even desperation. Along with those voices is the voice of family, the voice of love, the voice of triumphs as we experience some “wins” along the way. Every one of these voices carry significance and become a demand on our time.
In all four of the gospels we can read the account of the feeding of the 5,000. In John chapter 6, we read John’s account and discover that Philip and Andrew both were looking into a solution to feed them, but all they could come up with was 200 copper coins and a little boy’s lunch. I believe how Jesus responded and the instructions that He gave is very important for our lives today.
John 6:10, 11 Jesus said, “Make the men sit down” … 11 and Jesus took the loaves and when He had given thanks he gave to the disciples….
The voice of lack was speaking, the voice of “not enough” was speaking, and yet Jesus did not allow the significance of those voices of desperate urgency or concern pull Him out of His secure position of faith. In fact, John 6:6 says, “Jesus already knew what he was going to do!”
It is interesting that He said: “Make the men sit down.” Then instead of complaining or being overwhelmed by the size of the need, Jesus began to thank our Father in heaven for what He did have - a little boy’s lunch. This thankfulness caused what was there to multiply and become more than enough. In John 6:11 the scripture says the people had as much as they wanted and in verse 12 we read there was an abundance left over.
No longer was there any want because the need had been abundantly met.
Psalms 23:1, 2 The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…He makes me to lay down in green pastures…
Here we see this incredible truth once again: I shall not want and He makes me lay down. I believe the Lord is saying to us in our busy and fast-paced world: “Come and sit a while with me; notice what you do have more than what you lack and discover the abundance of grace in your situation.”
Jesus already knew what He was going to do; He trusted in and focused on the unlimited supply of Father. We have this same confidence because of Jesus’ death at the cross, His resurrection, His ascension and sending of the Holy Spirit to reveal to us that through His blood we are fully qualified to receive all that He has provided at the cross - righteousness, healing, provision, friendship with God, wisdom, peace with God and victory over all the powers of the devil! Like Jesus, we can live in full assurance of faith and live with confidence in this world.
1John 5:14-15 This is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us! (all those things mentioned above and more!) If we know that He hears us, then what ever we ask, we know we have the petitions that we desire of Him.
