Just When You Need It

And they went and found it just as He had told them, and they prepared the Passover.  Luke 22:13 ESV1

Read Matthew 26:17-19, Mark 14:12-16 & Luke 22:7-13

I was tired and eagerly anticipated my arrival at my destination where I planned to take a few moments to close my eyes and rest. I had traveled for sixteen hours across the country to serve at a ministry. My vehicle was packed with everything I would need for the next five weeks. With much prayer, I had planned spiritually for the role I would be filling. As I composed and checked off items on a list, I worked out all the conceivable physical details for my time away from home and my work in the ministry. I felt abundantly prepared for this opportunity.

But when I got to the vacation rental I had reserved months before, it wasn’t available! The owner was living there. She had no idea I was scheduled to arrive nor that I had reserved her home for the next five weeks. She didn’t even realize the listing for her home was active; she thought she had removed it almost a year before when she moved into their rental after she and her husband became separated.

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Rest Assured

Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds. And after He had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone. Matthew 14:23-23 ESV1

Read Matthew 14:13-23, Mark 6:30-46, Luke 9:10-17 & John 6:1-15

This widespread healing, accompanied by an amazing miracle, is familiar to many. It is found in all four Gospels. In your Bible, you will find it under a heading to the effect of, Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand. This event is so familiar to us that we might have a tendency to quickly gloss over it. But if we do, we will miss something very important. There is more going on here than the feeding of a massive crowd.

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