It was a joy to wake up to our first crisp and chilly morning and embrace the new harvest season. The change of the season brings hope and excitement for something new.
My grandfather was a rice farmer in Louisiana, and I loved going to the farm and watching the big combines harvesting the rice. It was surreal when my grandfather passed away because it was during harvest season. My sister surprised each of our family with a decorative jar of harvested rice to remind us of him. The harvest is a lot of hard work but it is always worth it.
The old has passed away and your labor has not been in vain. I want to remind you that this is your harvest season…
You have planted, watered, prayed, and now it is time to reap your harvest!
I have been studying the four Gospels this entire year, and I love to read about the miracles. Each miracle encourages my faith and provokes me to walk in miracles, signs, and wonders. Matthew 14:13-21 tells the beautiful story of feeding the five thousand.
There are three main points I want to share with you about this miracle and the heart of Jesus:
- Compassion;
- Healing; and
- Multiplication.
I have traveled to the Holy Land on two different occasions and sat where this miracle took place. I love to imagine myself sitting there once again on that amazing day.
The scripture describes how…
“Jesus had slipped away privately by boat to be alone. But when the crowds discovered he had sailed away, they emerged from all the nearby towns and followed him on foot. So when Jesus landed he had a huge crowd waiting for him. Seeing so many people, his heart was deeply moved with compassion toward them, so he healed all the sick who were in the crowd” (Matthew 14:13-14 TPT).
Jewel 1
Matthew 14:14: in Aramaic, it means, “he nurtured them in love and cured their frailties.” (Concordance; TPT)
Jewel 2
14:14 moved with compassion, splanchnizomai; Strong’s #4697: To be moved with deep compassion or pity. The Greeks regarded the bowels (splanchna) as the place where strong and powerful emotions originated. The Hebrews regarded splanchna as the place where tender mercies and feelings of affection, compassion, sympathy, and pity originated. It is the direct motive for at least five of Jesus’ miracles (Word Wealth; New Spirit-Filled Life Bible).
Jewel 3
Jesus’ feeding miracles symbolize the meeting of human need. They were foreshadowed by the provision of manna in the wilderness (see Ex.16). The remaining fragments draw attention to the over-abundance with which the Messiah blesses (Concordance; New Spirit-Filled Life Bible).
Don’t you just love the heart of Jesus? Can’t you feel His passion?
I’ve included this beautiful picture to show you a glimpse of that region today – The Mt. of Beatitudes on the Sea of Galilee.
http://www.biblecharts.org/biblelandnotes/Mount%20of%20Beatitudes.pdf
When it was evening, the disciples approached Jesus and expressed their concern about the multitude of people. They wanted Jesus to send them away, so the people would have time to walk to the villages nearby and get something to eat. In Matthew 14:16,
Jesus said, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
I can only imagine how dumbfounded they must have looked. Then, sheepishly reminded Jesus they only had 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.
But then again, Jesus says, “Bring them here to Me.”
Then Jesus begins to give instruction for them to sit down on the grass along the mountainside…preparing for the multiplication and feeding of the 5000.
“And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes” (Matthew 14:19, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible).
I truly believe this was an example that Jesus wanted us to use as a model for our lives today.
Prophetic Declaration
“I declare and decree that you will be overwhelmed with compassion when you see those in need, and compelled to step out in faith to pray and believe for the sick to be healed.
May God give you a passion to never send people away. To always be willing to make a difference in the lives of those around you.
You are anointed to love them, to heal them, and to feed them.
The Lord of the Harvest is your Savior, and He is willing to multiply what you have in your hands to feed yourself and others. Don’t forget to pick up the leftovers…He is a God of more than enough.”
Love and prayers,
Julie G
Julie Giordano
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