READING: Numbers 4-5, Mark 6:7-29
At least 5000 men were on the hillside. They were hungry, and Jesus intended to use their need as a means to display His miraculous power. He took five loaves and two fish, multiplied them magnificently, and fed the crowd with enough food that twelve baskets remained after everyone had been satisfied.
One simple detail we often miss is Jesus’ command that the people “sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties” (Mark 6:39-40). This level of coordination surely facilitated the distribution of the food, and it reminds us that God is not a God of disorder (1 Cor. 14:33). Moreover, the people might well have seen the miraculous multiplication better from their seated, organized position.
I’m grateful that Jesus can step into the crowds and the chaos, and He brings order, peace, and provision. He who calms the sea and casts out demons also puts food on our table.
PRAYER: “Lord, thank You for meeting our needs.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Numbers 6, Mark 6:30-56