Andrew comes to Jesus in Jn. 6:8-9 and says that a child has some bread and fish, but what is this small lunch in comparison to all these people?! Jesus says, “have the people sit down.” The disciples have already seen the Lord perform 18 miracles. There are no questions…the disciples simply obey. Jesus had a track record, and the disciples had been sitting on the front row!
The approach of temptation is rarely bold and brash. It is more often subtle in its approach and accomplished in smaller graduated steps. So, we know the Bible says love your wife, respect your husband, and obey your parents. However, temptation to disobey these commands almost never begins with in-your-face rebellion. The process is more subtle before it becomes bold. It often looks like...
David was sure of his refuge and safety! He is using strong words like “rock”, “salvation”, “defense” when describing the kind of trust he had placed in his God! Do you realize that for Absalom to have defeated David he would have had to cancel David’s salvation, crush his rock, and conquer his defense?
Our minds are filled with the thoughts of our own choosing. Philippians 4:8 directs us to sharpen our focus on the target of our mind. The Greek words used in this passage shows that this call for right thinking is tied to the peace of God mentioned in the verse 7. We still have a will, and we still must choose moral excellence; however, the peace of God will help fuel right thinking.
