Jesus Satisfying People's Hunger

Have you ever really wanted something to eat so bad, you could almost taste it? You go to a restaurant and you order that steak or burger or salad. You crave it while talking with your friends. The food arrives. You eat it. You're satisfied. Lunch was a success!

Have you ever had a similar situation regarding trials? You just want them to be over. The hunger pains for God don't go away. And, yet God doesn't seem to be coming to you. You may be learning some from His Word, but for some reason, God is making you wait.

This morning I read in Mark 8, and received some thoughts that I think were encouragements from the Holy Spirit.

In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away." (Mark 8:1-3)

A couple of truths jumped out to me. The first of which is this: Jesus cares about people. Now, I know this shouldn't come as a shocker. But, many times I get a thought that Jesus just wants me to buck up, try harder, work God's approval. Obviously I often feel weak when these thoughts control me. So, in the margin of my Bible, I wrote, "Jesus cares when you're exasperated." The reason I wrote it that way is because Jesus was concerned not only that the people hadn't eaten food, but he was concerned at the consequences of that. In other words, if those people didn't eat on that day, they would faint. Their physical bodies would "give up."

This is the second truth I saw was this: Jesus could have fed the people on the first or second day. He could have fed them all of the days. But, He didn't. Instead, Jesus waited until they were in greater need for it.

The third truth? Jesus gave more than enough food to satisfy each person. "And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full."

Indulge me for a moment to spiritualize this. I know this isn't coming from this passage, but I think these are scriptural truths I'm sharing here.

If you find yourself in a dry season, just know that God knows what you can bear. You may be in the first day and your hunger for God is known through growling. You may be in the third day and you are getting worried about the spiritual journey ahead. You may not be growling for food, but you feel weak and you know if you take too many more steps, you'll faint. Just know this: Jesus cares. He cares what you're exasperated. He cares about you and doesn't want you to faint on your walk with Him. He knows how many "days" you can handle. And, also know this: while you might feel hungry now, there's going to be a time when he feeds you to the full and you will be satisfied with more than enough food (and then some).

Keep looking to the Savior who truly cares for you!