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Useful to the Master

Armor of God

“…He blessed them, and broke them, and kept giving them to the disciples…” Luke 9:16b

While reading this very familiar passage in Luke 9 describing Jesus feeding the 5,000, I was instantly reminded of the verse and more specifically the phrase I would like to be remembered by once I've gone to be with Jesus face to face. It’s in 2 Timothy 2:21 “Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” I’m hoping Laurie and/or my family doesn't go to the expense but if they did and my life demonstrated it to be true, I would really like that phrase to be written on my tomb stone; “He was useful to the Master” I would so love to go and face Jesus knowing my life was useful to Him! Sadly, I don’t usually want and sometimes even resist the Master’s method of making me truly useful…see if you can relate.

Personally, I’m convinced one of the reasons Jesus’ miracle of feeding the 5,000 is one of only two miracles recorded in all four gospels (the resurrection being the other) is because of its critical and almost hidden message of how God makes us useful to the Master.

Consider Luke 9:16b, first, He blessed them! Like the five loaves and few fish, in and of ourselves we’re really not that much to write home about. When we consider how selfish, prideful, fickle, stubborn, impatient, and downright unloving we are it’s amazing God gives us another breath let alone blesses us. Yet He relentlessly blesses us by Jesus, Who is continuously praying for us before God the Father (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1-2). God not only blessed us with Jesus in salvation by forgiving all our sins but continues to bless us in Jesus with His very life within us; always there, always praying for us. Just think of how many prayers that Jesus speaks to His Father that are not answered; NONE!! Try wrapping your head around that…as a son of the Most High God everything that happens in my life is a result of Jesus praying before the Father for my good and His glory!!! Just let that sink in for a minute.

Second, Jesus ‘broke them.’ Bummer; this is the part that none of us really like and most of us seriously try to avoid. However, it is His method. Consider Jesus Himself and then God’s desire to make us like Him in the following verses: Hebrews 5:7-8 “In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.” Romans 8:28-29 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son…” Our gracious Father wants to break us of all the old thinking and habits that are not like Jesus and that process usually requires pain and brokenness.

Third, Jesus ‘kept giving them to the disciples...’ Just like the bread and fish, Jesus wants to use us to bless people; to love people! We've been blessed by Him in salvation; we continue to be blessed by Him as He lives within us, continually praying for us; and, are continually matured by His process of breaking us, making us more like Jesus. But all this in order to what?? I’m convinced all of this is for His glory and God gets most glory by us when we look most like Jesus Who perfectly gave His Father glory in everything He said and everything He did. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Bottom line, Jesus said all of God’s commands are wrapped up in two equal and completely interdependent commands: Love God and love people (Matthew 22:36-40). Just as Jesus demonstrated love for people (all people) by caring for their physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs He wants to use us to do the very same thing.

O God of heaven and earth, please make us truly useful to You our Master. Thank you for blessing us with the true Bread of heaven, Jesus and continuing to bless us with His very presence within us. Please conform us to His very image by whatever means necessary and please make us teachable and submissive in Your process. In Jesus name, Amen!