ERCC DEVOTIONAL (TEKAN) DAILY SPIRITUAL DIET; TUESDAY 7TH NOVEMBER, 2023.
TEXT: JOHN 6: 1 - 15.
SPIRITUAL FOCUS: JESUS FED FIVE THOUSAND PEOPLE.
Today our lesson goes from Old to New Testament where Jesus and His disciples crosssed the Sea of Galilee that is Tiberias, and a large crowd followed them to see His miraculous work and healing the sick.
When He and His disciples climbed a mountain, He saw the people and He was moved with pity. Although He knew what He was going to do. He asked Philip, "Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?" (verse 5).
Philip answered, "Two hundred pennyworth of bread will not suffice." But one of the disciples showed how much faith he had. He said there was another a boy with five loaves of bread and two fish. Then Jesus made the people sit down about 5,000 men alone beside women and children.
He took the bread and the fish and thanked the Father, asking for His power and blessings. He distributed to the people, who ate. After everyone had eaten, Jesus commanded His disciples to gather the rest so that nothing would be wasted (vs.12).
The few loaves became many, since the Lord blessed it. This miracle of Jesus caused many to believe in Him. And they gave a good testimony, saying, "This is a prophet that cometh into the world." (vs. 14). Brothers and sisters, do our lives and deeds testify that we are followers of Christ, to the glory of God?
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Let the word of God not depart from our mouths.
PRAYER: Lord God, I beseech You, help me to live a glorious life in the name of Jesus, Amen.
JOHN 6: 1 - 15 (ESV).
1 After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.
2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.
3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.
4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.
5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?”
6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.
7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.”
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him,
9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”
10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number.
11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.
12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”
13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.
14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
