Lenten Daily Devotional - Day 9 - 2/22/13

Devotional Scripture:  John 6:1-22

Devotional Thought:

"Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up . . . " - John 5:8

Despite my best efforts to the contrary, I still find myself overcome by an "entire situation" rather than looking at what I can do about something at that time.

You know how it is . . . a situation arises in your life, and suddenly it overwhelms you because you are focused on a "final solution."   How much easier it is when you write out all that needs to be done, and then choose from the list what you can accomplish today.

Wars are fought and won in a series of individual battles.  Life is the same way.

Sometimes though, it is hard to see where to begin.  Thank goodness for people brave enough to offer suggestions, or ideas, even though they may not totally believe what good they might bring.

In today's scripture, Andrew is such a person.   Andrew "spoke up".  Thank goodness he did.

I would like to share and understanding of the disciples that I personally have.  I don't believe they were the older men as painted by so many artists in  history.  I think most were teenagers, or men who had not made the cut at synagogue school, or called by a Rabbi as disciples.  They had all been sent home to apprentice in the family business.  Andrew was a fisherman . . . a hard life in those days. 

One thing I know about fishing . . . you have to have hope.  You have to see possibilities. You have to believe over and over and over again, that he next cast of the net or rod-n-reel will result in your catching a "keeper." 

Andrew was a fisherman, who didn't make the grade at school, sent home to apprentice with his dad.  But he was a "possibilities" person.  Such people, despite what they personally think of their own ideas, speak up.

"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

Well, in the hands of Jesus Christ, they feed far more than he could have imagined.

I want people like Andrew in my life.  Do you?

During this season of Lent, on your road to Easter . . . look for possibilities . . . and speak up about them, no matter how insignifacant they may seem to you at the time. 

God's grace still amazes me . . . ><>