FAITH CAPSULE: Serve heaven a hearty thanksgiving and heaven will satisfy you.

John 6:1-14, 11:17-44

In obedience and thanksgiving, there is abundance. At the feeding of 5,000, Jesus asked His disciples not to let the people go away with an empty stomach. It was a desert area, a place that can never produce enough supply for the demand that was at hand. In John 6:5, “Jesus asked Philip, where shall we buy bread that these may eat?” Jesus’ disciples informed Him that a lad has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many? Are you wondering how your pressing needs shall be met? Knowing it that what you have at hand or on ground is never going to make up for what you need just speak your need to Jesus. In speaking your need story telling like that of Philip’s response to Jesus will be avoided.  If in your journey of life you have ended up in a desert area of life know it that with Jesus there is a way out and nothing is absolutely impossible for the maker of all things to do. Jesus will turn around your lack into abundance.

Jesus, after having received an answer from Philip that there was no enough to serve the people, He responded in John 6:10-11, “Then Jesus said, make the people sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.” The people obey the command of Jesus which called for them to sit down. There was obedience in the people’s response, and there was a thanksgiving offering unto the Lord for the little (five barley and two small fish) that became abundance. The people’s obedience and thanks which was offered to God combined and brought forth abundance.

It was same obedience in combination with thanks giving that brought Lazarus out of the grave of life. At Lazarus’ tomb, after Jesus’s command for the stone to be removed was faithfully engaged, He gave thanks which caused death to be replaced by life. (Luke 11)

At the desert of lack abundance took over. The book of John 6:12 recorded, “So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” In a desert ground; at late hour; where there was none to turn to except Jesus, obeying command (sitting down) and giving thanks was served to heaven and all were satisfied. Engage full obedience, extend a hearty thanksgiving concerning every area of your lack and it will be converted into abundance to the glory of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God to become one that knows to give thanks and live life obeying His command.