Something for Nothing: Lent Series – Week 4

Reading for this week: Matthew 14:13-21

Jesus and his disciples had retreated quietly to a “desolate place.” A massive crowd of people (5,000 men plus women and children) followed them. Instead of finding another quiet place, Jesus had compassion on the people and spent the rest of the day healing them.

At the end of the day the disciples saw that the people were hungry. They said to Jesus, “This is a desolate place, and the day is over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves”  (Matthew 14:15). But Jesus responded, “You give them something to eat” (v. 16).

What? We have nothing. Only five loaves of bread and two fish.

But Jesus took the loaves and the fish and asked the disciples to have the people sit down. He lifted his eyes towards heaven, gave thanks, and distributed the food among the people. And distributed. And distributed. And distributed. Until everyone had eaten to their full. Then he had the disciples gather the leftovers, twelve extra basketfuls.

Jesus could have taken the disciples advice and sent the people away, exhausted and tired and hungry. Although it was late and they were away from any villages, they could have probably found something to eat, for themselves.

But Jesus had bigger plans. He wanted to show them how God can provide for his people out of nothing. He wanted them to see first hand what God can do when you obediently give him what you have.

 Dear God, You are the source of everything we need. Thank you. Give us your resources so that we may feed not only ourselves, but others as well. Amen.

The feeding of the 5,000 is one of my favorite Bible stories, because God takes our practically nothing and multiplies it into more than enough. This week, let’s spend time studying this story.

Day 2 – Mark 6:32-44

Day 3 – Luke 9:10-17

Day 4 – John 6:1-13

Day 5 – John 6:22-35

 

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Something for Nothing: Lent Series – Week 3

For these weeks leading up to Easter, we are studying how God works miracles out of nothing.

Riddle for today:

The poor have it. The rich need it. It’s bigger than God, and if you eat it, you’ll die. What is it? (Scroll down for the answer.)

Reading for today: 2 Kings 4:1-7

“And she said, ‘Your servant has nothing.’” ~2 Kings 4:2

Despair is that unanticipated moment where hope (that warm fire you had become accustomed to and may have forgotten was even there) has gone out (either suddenly or slowly over time), and despair (the lack of that precious warmth and light, and something that you never want to become accustomed to) threatens to be the only thing you feel.

The interesting thing about despair, though, is that it has the potential to be not an end, but a beginning. It has the potential, if you let it, to be the beginning of your search to find God and to cry out for his merciful, necessary grace. What else can we do, when we find ourselves with nothing, but to seek help from the only one who can give it.

The widow in our reading for today had no husband, and her children were about to be taken as slaves to pay all her debts. She had nothing left but a small jar of oil and a desperate voice.

Elisha, God’s prophet, told her to bring her “nothing” to God, and to go get lots more nothing (empty jars) from the neighbors. Then, out of her despair, out of her nothingness, God brought forth enough oil to fill every jar she could find. Enough oil to buy her sons’ freedom. Enough oil for a family of three to live on.

Praise God that when he chooses to rework hope into your life, he demands absolutely nothing but your willing heart to do it.

Dear God, make my hope strong. Send me to you if I despair. And give me a willing heart. Amen.

Let’s see what God has to say.

Day 2 – James 4:1-10

Day 3 – John 15:4-5

Day 4 – Philippians 4:4-7, 10-13

Day 5 – Psalm 55:16-17, 22

*Answer: Nothing

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Something for Nothing: Lent Series – Week 2

For these weeks leading up to Easter, we are studying how God works miracles out of nothing.

Reading for this week: Hebrews 11:8-11

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” ~Genesis 18:14

Out of an unbelieving family, God called Abraham to be the father of all believers. Out of the old, barren womb of Abraham’s wife, Sarah, God promised a child. Out of nothing came generations, nations, kings, and blessings upon blessings.

Even though God promised to work a miracle through Abraham and Sarah, they laughed because they believed what God had promised was impossible. But their laughter was not from joy. It was from cynicism and doubt.

Abraham laughed and said, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old?” Sarah also laughed and asked, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure [in a child]?”

Retrieved from – http://dohlesdevos.blogspot.com/

But God replied to their laughter with his own laughter, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”

God forgave their mistakes, he worked through their limited understanding, and he brought forth a son from the empty womb of Sarah.

As she looked in amazement at the baby boy in her arms, she said, “God has made laughter for me.”

Praise God that when he chooses to work his greatest miracles, he does not require our understanding. He can work through our cynicism and doubt. And in his mercy, he can bring joyful laughter into a life that otherwise had nothing.

Dear God, I am able to do nothing, yet you have chosen to work through me, even when I get in the way or stumble. Thank you for your forgiveness and steadfast love. Amen.

God called forth a nation out of an empty womb. From that nation would come a Savior for all nations. Let’s read about Abraham and Sarah’s story this week.

Day 2 – Genesis 12:1-4; Genesis 15:1-6

Day 3 – Genesis 16:1-3; 15-16

Day 4 – Genesis 17:15-21

Day 5 – Genesis 18:9-14; Genesis 21:1-7

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Something for Nothing: Lent Series – Week 1

My Lenten devotional series for this year is called – Something for Nothing. It was inspired by Pastor Wheeler’s latest sermon entitled Nothing (3/5/17). For the next 6 weeks leading up to Easter, we are going to study how God works miracles out of nothing.

Reading for today: Hebrews 11:3

God spoke and his very words fashioned the entire universe. Out of dust and his own breath, God spun our human life into existence.

Our fundamental understanding of God’s character is that he is the Creator and he needs nothing to work his miracles.

So if you find yourself at the corner of Empty and Nothing, you are in a perfect spot. If you feel that you have nothing to offer, be ready. If your bank account is empty or you have nothing left to give or your heart is broken, you are standing on the very platform where God does his finest work.

Praise God that when he chooses to work his greatest miracles, he requires absolutely nothing. The exact thing that we are able to give.

Dear God, I am nothing yet you have made me everything. Help me to remember your great love for me so that I can share that great love with others. Amen.

God’s first miracle from nothing was creation. Let’s read through the details of creation this week.

Day 2 – Genesis 1:1-13

Day 3 – Genesis 1:14-25

Day 4 – Genesis 1:26-2:3

Day 5 – Psalm 33:6-12

 

 

 

 

 

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