2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Genesis 48:1-49:33 ESV, Matthew 15:29-16:12 ESV, Psalm 20:1-9 ESV, Proverbs 4:20-27 ESV
Daily Verse: “Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” (Matthew 15:32 ESV)
SPLAGCHNIZOMAI (4697): “To be moved as to one’s inwards (splanchna), to be moved with compassion, to yearn with compassion, and is frequently recorded of Christ towards the multitudes and towards individual sufferers.[i]
Jesus cares.
People’s fear of judgment keeps them from approaching God. Thinking they must become “better” before they enter a relationship with Jesus, they avoid Him. But that’s not Jesus. Because of His love for us, God created a way for us to relate to Him. Through Jesus, we connect to God, spotless and whole. No matter our past sins, God forgives the moment we confess them to Him. New life begins when we accept, Jesus cares for us.
When I’ve listened to someone who captures my attention, time evaporates. An hour passes in what seems like seconds. The crowd following Jesus for three days had nothing to eat. So enraptured in Jesus’s teaching, they didn’t think about food. But Jesus did. He knew the crowd needed food to sustain them for their journey home.
Let Jesus feed you.
Don’t miss out on Jesus’ teaching because you’re afraid to enter His presence. Remember, God loves you unconditionally. When the choice came to love, God chose you. Nowhere in scripture does God expect perfection from you. Our heavenly Father desires a relationship with us based on honesty and love. Opening our hearts to our Maker, confessing our sins, invites God into our lives.
Jesus leads with compassion. His mission on earth, one of rescue. Understanding our sinful natures leads to lives of misery; Jesus gives us a way out. Instead of holding onto past mistakes, we have an opportunity to let them go and start again.
Feed on the words of Jesus. Follow the example He set for us. When facing an impossible situation, think of God’s Son. Jesus doesn’t want anyone to go away hungry. With divine intervention, God will fill you up. Your Spirit will soar, ready for the next leg of the journey.
[i] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. (p. 232) Thomas Nelson
