In John’s gospel we can read about one of Jesus’ miracles when he fed 5,000 people. In reality, there was probably a greater number that dined as some scholars note that women and children may not have been included in the count. No matter where you fall on either side of the number, the miracle is of great significance considering the measure of basic groceries He worked with to accomplish serving an extraordinary meal! 

It was Jesus’ disciples who were given the task of finding food for the large crowd. Can you imagine their dismay or astonishment that the huge undertaking was given to them in such a casual manner?

“Where will we buy bread for the people to eat?” is the question Jesus posed to Philip. I’m sure he shrugged his shoulders while going directly to common sense for his response.  “We don’t have enough money”…even pointing out how long it would take to earn wages sufficient for  purchasing bread. Along comes Andrew. He’s got a solution. Perhaps he’s been out scanning the crowd looking for “anything” that might be considered an evening meal. He’s found a boy who has five small loaves of barley bread and two fish. Hardly enough to feed an entire family let alone a multitude.

Giving further instructions, Jesus has all the people sit down. The bread and fish are then blessed, the miracle of increase happens and thousands of bellies are satisfied. A little boy’s dinner–under discovery by Andrew and miraculous touch by Jesus–has saved the day. This miracle stirs the people to begin believing that Jesus “is the Prophet who has come into the world”.

What about our little boy? Other than reading it was he who had a small meal with him, no further mention is made after surrendering his bread and fish. Was he alone that day? Did his parents stay behind at home while he ventured off to join thousands on a mountainside to listen to Jesus? By now in his young life, he too had heard about “this Jesus” and wanted to witness for himself Jesus’ teachings and ability to heal people. In preparation for a long day, his mother packed him a “lunch”. 

Years ago I was returning home after spending a week in San Jose with a close friend. Because we both knew that airport food can be expensive, she packed me a light lunch which consisted of a peanut butter and jam sandwich. I think I had an apple, too. Regardless, the sandwich would suffice to tie me over until arriving in Detroit.

Seated next to me was an Asian man. We exchanged smiles and an attempt to converse with him proved cumbersome as I quickly realized his limited command of the English language. I was able to understand that he was traveling “home” to attend his father’s funeral. Of course, I offered my condolences, returning to sitting quietly. Until my stomach began to growl and the anticipation of enjoying my sandwich grew.

I opened my lunch bag, took out my sandwich. My seatmate was looking out the window. His countenance was one of sadness and waiting. I tapped his arm gently and asked “would you like half of my sandwich?” I figured if I was hungry, surely he was as well. Smiling and nodding his head as a courtesy, he accepted my small offer.

I wasn’t looking for my small lunch to “miracuously” increase. Rather, I hoped that by sharing a small meal with someone from another culture, one who was grieving as any person would do under similar circumstances, that in our few hours together  simple kindness would cross language barriers and in turn create a lasting memory to cherish. I know for me it did.

Jesus’ miracle of feeding over 5,000 people didn’t merely end with full bellies. In fact, the food He blessed produced leftovers! Enough to fill 12 baskets! I think it’s significant that each disciple had a basket to gather the leftovers…maybe Jesus’ attempt at a bit of humor to prove a point regarding trust and provision.

Sharing my peanut butter and jam sandwich didn’t leave any crumbs. All I had to show for that afternoon was an empty baggie and brown paper bag. The plane landed. I had given the flight attendant my empty “trash”. My seatmate and I disembarked but not before sharing more smiles and him nodding as a “gesture of appreciation” to me. 

Kindness and generosity can be extended to over 5,000 people. And, it can also be offered to one. One little boy’s surrender helped produce a miracle for many. I’m pretty sure when he returned home that evening he had a lot to tell his parents!

“You’ve got mail”.

“There’s an app for that”. 

As you read these two slogans, can you hear the voice behind what’s become iconic in the world of marketing? I can. How about if I throw in this…”and now for the rest of the story”. 

Tag lines and marketing strategies target consumers in ways that entices  us  much like a cleverly designed fishing lure on the end of a line. Did you know that good marketing also uses particular colors to attract potential buyers? The science behind how we think and how we are influenced is a topic for another day. Our brains are unique, complex and integral for every aspect of life itself. So, is it any surprise that God has given us over 30 scripture verses instructing us how to guard our mind?

Jeremiah wrote “The heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? (New Living Translation)

And in  Proverbs, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” (New Living Translation)

Technology is constantly changing. As an example, in my own lifetime I’ve experienced a landline in our family home which shared a line (referred to as a “party line”), cordless phones were added to homes along with standard wall or desk models, businesses had multi line phones on desks, switchboards were replaced by direct dial systems, bulky mobile phones became obsolete with the introduction of slimmer models which now include watches on our wrists. Every year phone technology is updated, packaged and marketed to us as new, better, improved performance. Mobile phones have become a common household device. Where once a wall phone’s cord limited how far one could wander for privacy, a mobile phone can go anywhere with only a few cautions. 1) do you have a good signal and 2) are you fully charged? Lacking one or both of these leaves you dead in the water. Not so with God. He doesn’t change. He’s the same, yesterday and tomorrow.

In Hebrews 4 we read “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”

Perhaps the greatest double edged sword among us today is social media. Meant to bring people together, it has also become a platform where posts and comments are often mean spirited, accusatory, thoughtless assumptions made from lack of knowledge or understanding. If it hadn’t already become a major disappointment for many of us who enjoy its ability to connect with loved ones, now we have AI to contend with regarding the authenticity of information being put in front of our eyes. All of this creates a juggling act to determine what is true, what are lies, both contributing to straying into the playing field of following the human heart instead of taking our lead from God. 

Apple opened its “app store” in 2008. A trademark for their tag line “there’s an app for that” was filed in December 2009. Elwood Edwards was the voice behind “you’ve got mail” which peaked for AOL. Caller ID for telephones was invented in the 1960s and became advanced in the 80’s and 90’s. God’s Word was established before the beginning of time. 

As scriptures were written which scholars compiled into 66 books which is now our Bible, those men didn’t write what their hearts were saying. Inspired by the Holy Spirit they recorded history, poems, prophets, our four gospels, letters to various churches, and a final book describing events yet to happen. Pose any need asking how to  navigate life’s challenges and God will say “there’s an app for that”. It’s My Word.

His 10 commandments pretty much sum up how to live a life of integrity. They keep us from putting other ‘gods’ or things above Him. They keep us in proper boundaries for healthy relationships and conduct inside our businesses. The first four rules focus on our relationship with God, the other six focus on our relationship with people.

My personal Bible has pages that are worn, notes in margins, words or phrases circled, highlighted, or underlined. The binder is currently held together with clear packing tape. My Bible is my “go-to” for a continuous desire to know God and His love for me, encouragement for days I’m weary, finding promises to pray over our children and grandchildren. The comfort of holding my aging Bible on my lap will never fade. Yet, as much as I love my version of scriptures, I admit I have an app for the Bible on my mobile phone, too. I can carry all 66 books in a slim package known as my Smartphone.

Technology has given us every opportunity now to have God’s Word with us. The Bible has been translated into over 7,378 languages! That is mind blowing. The YouVersion app for reading the Bible is available in 2,456 languages!

If you ask me, “there’s an app for that” is playing very well into advancing God’s Word. Even Paul understood that mankind will have no excuse for acknowledging God’s power and authority. I leave you with  Romans 1: 20 “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities–His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” 

My novice gardening skills teach me a lot about life in general and when I reflect into a deeper spiritual aspect of daily circumstances, I gain further insight.

This morning, in the coolness of early temperatures under beautiful sunshine and blue skies, I watered a variety of plants on the west side of our home as they are still under shade until the sun moves and lights up the area. We’ve got a few shrubs, some perennials, ground cover and annuals across the front of the house. As I watered I could see where heat damaged a few of the plants. Some are missing flower buds thanks to a bunny or deer. Missing potential blooms makes me sad. Afterall, the reason for planting them was to add color to our home and for personal enjoyment. The shrubs are a bit misshapen due to deer munching on their branches. A couple annuals appear pushed up from level ground, maybe a mole or chipmunk. The butterfly bush always appears unscathed and has a perfect shape as its branches climb higher; our own pruning each year seems to be a key care factor!

Not to be ignored, are the perennial “weeds” that always show up each year. There’s plenty of wild carrots scattered among the plants. Poison ivy is relentless and pops up unexpectedly each summer. Thankfully, my husband has a keen eye for this unwanted vine and takes great care to rid it from our yard.

In John 15 beginning with verse one we read “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardner. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful”. Who is the true vine? It’s Jesus. In this parable He refers to the Father as the “gardner”, the one who tends to the branches on the vine. In application to you and me, God tends to our lives, too.

He desires for you and me to live and grow enjoying an abundant life. To accomplish this, He offers protection from the evils of the world by surrounding us with a hedge. He feeds and waters our spirits when we read scripture on a daily basis. When we begin to grow tired, spindly instead of well rounded fullness, He comes gently to prune away “dead” things that hinder healthy growth. Before “someone” or “something” can come along to snatch our joy, destroy what’s about to bloom in our lives, He offers protection. When we walk on unlevel ground, He’s quick to come alongside and gently nudge us back on a good path.

I’ve lost some plants this year. Some annuals didn’t make it either by my own doing, weather, or critters. Others, like the tomato and cucumber plants appear to be thriving, covered with blooms that will turn into luscious fruits in the coming weeks. Their ability to grow and flourish makes me happy. Periodic watering along with checking for bugs who enjoy eating vegetable leaves, is crucial to their success.

Staying connected to God is vital for you and me. This is why reading and studying scripture regularly is important and although doing so enriches us personally, what we read and learn is the task of telling others about Christ. Research shows that almost 57% of Americans do not attend church on a regular basis. While I might assume that our pastors would love seeing every pew or chair filled every Sunday, the greater desire is that more and more people come into a relationship with Christ. Each believer becomes a number in man’s eyes, but to God every person walking in salvation has their name written in the Book of Life. (Revelation 20:15) God’s goal isn’t to fill churches with people merely to offer bragging rights regarding attendance; His desire is far greater with the filling of His Kingdom with redeemed souls.

Plants suffer fate due to a variety of conditions. Some bloom even though they’ve gone through stress. Some fight for space among unwanted weeds or other overgrowth. Others display damaged leaves from being munched on. Most will survive and offer vibrant colorful blooms until their season comes to an end. People are resilient, too. Many of us have lived through tough seasons, losses of family or jobs, unexpected attacks when our guard is down. This is why we all need Christ. We all need His Father. Both offer a world where we can choose to be connected with them and reap the benefits of being cared for by a faithful shepherd. 

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst. (1 Timothy 1: 15)

Who are the sinners? Every person from time’s beginning, present, and future. In God’s math that’s 100%, yet according to man’s statistics, over half of Americans have or continue to reject Christ. That’s a loss that bears attention and great care no matter the cost.

Happy Father’s Day to all the men who are in this role as a parent whether you’ve had children of your own, through adoption or blended family, even mentoring through many programs that target improving the lives of our most valuable resources–our children.

You’ve read many of my articles which have highlighted memories and insight I hold dear to me regarding my own earthly father. I was blessed and fortunate that God gave him to me and wired him to be gentle, loving, kind, faithful to my mother and our family. He possessed a work ethic to be admired and a love of country often reflected by his wanting to sing all the patriotic songs when we were together as a family, especially as age and dementia robbed him in his later years. In fact, as a tribute to him at his funeral, we sang “America the Beautiful” as one of the songs, a favorite of dads. I have nothing but good memories when I think about my dad.

Yet, sitting here this morning to write about Father’s Day, I cannot acknowledge that not everyone has had or is in a healthy relationship with an earthly father. The fallout of a disjointed or broken relationship  often reflects how one views God, making it difficult to refer to Him as “Father”, seeing Him as a good good Father versus one who is always angry or one who seems cold and distant, not interested in a hurting child or adult’s life. Nothing could be further from the truth. And to understand God’s deep affection as a Father we need look no further than the Lord’s Prayer.

In this prayer that Jesus taught to His disciples, He began with two words…”Our Father.” With the help of a teaching from a favorite ministry site–”Walking the Text”*–I unpacked some key takeaways that gave me deeper revelation about this prayer most of us know and which is used in churches worldwide. 

The word “our”–as used here–is communal in meaning, indicating that “we” join God and others when we say “Our Father”. We enter a much bigger story than merely our own. God invites us into His story which involves over 8 billion people around the world.

Furthermore, God is for all people. “Our Father” is family language. It’s intimate. The Jews in Jesus’ days would have understood this language. They had the Old Testament scriptures that established understanding this intimate relationship. In the Book of Exodus we read the account of Moses being sent to Pharoah by God to get His people out of slavery. Moses was instructed to tell Pharoah “This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” Later, Matthew recorded the events when Joseph took Mary and Jesus to Egypt to escape Herod’s murder plot against the Christ child. “Out of Egypt I called my son.”  In a passage from Isaiah Jews would have read “but you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us or Israel acknowledge us you, Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from old is your name.”

So, there’s a lot going on when Jesus instructs us to pray daily the Lord’s Prayer, opening our time with God by addressing Him as “Our Father”. Though we cannot “see” God we need look no further than Jesus in order to comprehend who He is for us. John recorded for us Jesus’ own words: “If you really know Me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.”  Later, in Hebrews we read “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word….”

Maybe you have or had a wonderful earthly father like me. Perhaps the opposite is true. But this is what I know…God IS a good good Father and whether you were born into a family of faith, came into relationship with Him late in life, or you’re still questioning His goodness because of deep hurt and preconceived thoughts, He is still for you and not against you. You can be part of His story, too. All it takes is a humble and willing heart to step out of pain or anger, into His circle to hear of His deep abiding love for you as expressed by the psalmist in chapter 2. “I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, ‘You are my son; today I have become your father.” (vs. 7)

I love when scriptures connect the dots..from old testament accounts and prophecy…to the very lips of Jesus sitting as He taught His disciples a new way to pray, relying and bringing to their minds  old truths familiar to each one of them.

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*I relied on a teaching on The Lord’s Prayer from the ministry “Walking the Text”. You can find them on YouTube. I highly recommend their team of teachers who bring scripture to life in ways that expose the depth behind contexts too often overlooked or misunderstood. 

Drive down any country road now and chances are you’ll see recently popularized “small farm stands” in a front yard close to a homeowner’s driveway. These quaint cute structures come with all kinds of pretty motifs to attract our eyes…some are rudimentary in nature while others are quite lavish. Neatly arranged shelves are offering homebaked goods–primarily sourdough breads–jams and jellies, farm fresh eggs. There’s no need for the stand to be “manned” with someone to collect money, today’s technology which says “there’s an app for that” has taken out all manner of inability to pay without cash. Venmo QR codes neatly posted on a piece of stationery eliminates person-to-person payment. Grab what you want from the stand, pay via using your smart phone and be on your way! All that’s truly left in the mix is complete honesty to pay for what you’re taking. In other words, the good ole honor system.

Who doesn’t like bread? I know that I do. I grew up with a mother who didn’t  enjoy making bread, however, a fair share of wonderful small bakery owners benefited from her regular weekend visits. A favorite was Miller’s Bakery on State Street in Saginaw. Mom could purchase a variety of rye or pumpkernickel breads along with a standard loaf of white. Or, she could buy Spatz’ bread at our local grocery store. This latter bakery is still in business in Saginaw. The original building looks much the same as it did in the 50s and 60s; the recipe hasn’t changed nor the waxy paper that holds each precious loaf. If you haven’t eaten a slice of Spatz bread you haven’t lived. Toasted or made into a sandwich–the best is egg salad or a BLT–your taste buds will explode. Soft at first, if not used within a few days, you best turn it into a bread pudding as its moisture has slowly dried out or create a french toast breakfast. No one wanted their Spatz bread to go to waste, it was too good.

Reading through the gospels we find a few instances where Jesus miraculously fed thousands of people with only a few loaves of bread. A couple of times He had several fish, too. Before “breaking” the bread, He held it up and thanked His Father for providing it, and then had the disciples distribute chunks of the blessed meal to the people. Men, women and children each were fed and I have to believe their bellies were adequately filled. If providing a meal to thousands of people isn’t enough of a miracle, further reading of these accounts mentions that the disciples “gathered the leftovers, filling baskets”. No reason or explanation is given as to why there were portions of bread left unwanted. Furthermore, no indication if the bread was kept for another day or used up within a day or two.

In the Lord’s Prayer, we are instructed to ask God to “give us this day our daily bread”. Why would that phrase have resonated with the disciples and other Jews?  Jesus was purposefully triggering their minds to remember when God delivered their ancestors out of Egypt and when the people cried out to God for food He gave them “manna from heaven”. The children of Israel ate manna for 40 years! Manna was a supernatural provision which sustained them while wandering in the wilderness. (Exodus 16: 35) There was one strong stipulation about the manna; they were told not to store it, gather it daily in the early part of the morning when it appeared on the ground, eat and do the same every day.  Those who disobeyed soon found out that stored manna was a breeding ground for worms as well as rotting.

Their hoarding was an act of disobedience. Daily manna taught the importance of relying on God for daily provision rather than hoarding for the future. 

Jesus “broke” a few small loaves of bread to feed hungry people. The next time His twelve disciples witnessed another “breaking of bread” under supernatural circumstances was during their last supper together. Up until this time they’d heard Jesus refer to Himself as the “bread of life”, His miraculous feeding of thousands with leftovers, and now, using “bread” to establish an allegory to describe His broken body which would be crushed under the weight of crucifixion, all events they had no comprehension of as they reclined around their passover meal.

At the end of Jesus’ last meal with His closest friends, many shared experiences from about three years of ministry filled their minds. Bread–an important staple in their diets”–has gone from filling thousands of bellies with miraculous assistance to becoming a symbol to remember Jesus’ broken body. It was a command that now became an opportunity for obedience. Just as they gathered up “leftovers” on hillsides, now they would become voices of the gospel message, telling others about remembering Christ when “breaking bread”.

The next time you sit down to enjoy a truly great slice or hunk of bread, take a few moments to thank God for all that He provides. A variety of common ingredients of wheat or rye, mixed with yeast and water, shaped and baked into small or large loaves, is a delicious addition to any meal. Breathe in delectable aromas of freshly baked bread just out of the oven. More importantly, as you bite into your lil slice of heaven, thank the One who gives us daily bread…over and over again. 

Sometimes there’s leftovers. That’s God’s bounty. That’s evidence of His ability to provide.