“THEY HAVE BEEN WITH ME!”

Matthew 15:32-38                                               (ESV)

32 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."

33 And the disciples said to HIM, "Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?"

34 And JESUS said to them, "HOW MANY LOAVES DO YOU HAVE?" They said, SEVEN, and a FEW SMALL FISH."

35 And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground,

36 HE took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks HE broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.

37 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up SEVEN BASKETS FULL of the broken pieces left over.

38 Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.”

At least to me, this story has always been about the “four thousand men, besides women and children” that were fed with ONLY SEVEN loaves, and a FEW SMALL FISH.  But this morning my EYES were opened to things that I have never seen before, even though this happened over two thousand years ago.  

This crowd had been following JESUS for three days with nothing to eat!   JESUS called HIS disciples to minister to the large crowd, not because HE couldn’t handle the task, but maybe so they could experience the JOY from being used in KINGDOM WORK, for HIS GLORY!?!  The crowd more than likely weren’t the wealthiest, most noble citizens of their time, but people who had a need, AND who were WITH JESUS!  

As I learned in a recent Study, don’t mistake GOD’s Provision for HIS Presence.  Scripture does not indicate that “four thousand men, besides women and children” Believed, but that they were fed!  We sometimes become so caught up in the physical blessings PROVIDED by GOD that we fail to acknowledge THE PROVIDER of the blessings!  A MIRACLE cannot happen on its own.  SOMEONE has to ordain the happening!  Can you imagine the Red Sea opening up on its own, allowing three million chosen to cross the sea, and then closing on Pharaoh and all his hosts???  

“THEY HAVE BEEN WITH ME” does carry rewards!  But we cannot expect to earn our way into Heaven simply by going to church and living by our own wills.  We MUST yield to HIS SPIRIT leading and guiding our lives.  “THEY HAVE BEEN WITH ME” needs to be replaced with “THEY ARE MINE”, as flawed as they are, and no one can pluck them (John 10:28) from MY hand!!!