August 2, 2020

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for August 2nd: Genesis 32:22-31, Psalm 17:1-7,15, Romans 9:1-3, Matthew 14:13-21; Theme: God will provide Matthew: The Lord’s Prayer is basically a prayer for God to provide what you need from day to day. It reflects the situation of most people in Jesus day. They did not have refrigeration, so there was no way to store up leftovers. More importantly, they did not have anything to put into a refrigerator. But one of the primary messages of even the old testament, is not to fret about tomorrow, because the Lord will provide. The crowd had gathered to hear the words of Jesus, and not Jesus tells the disciples to provide for them to be able to eat. The disciples are able to take five loaves and two fish and to feed 5000 people. What a powerful testimony. There are still hungry people coming to the church for help today. We are still called to use our resources to make a difference. Romans: No matter how effective you may be, there are always going to be people who criticize what you are doing. A lot of time your biggest critics are those people who are closest to you. That can cause even the most dedicated person a lot of Grief. Paul had been very effective in teaching gentiles about Christ, but his own Jewish family refused to accept Christ. Today, Christianity and Judaism are related, but two very different religions. Paul wants his family to understand the salvation of Jesus Christ so much, that he says that he is willing to deny his own beliefs in order to reach them. Paul finds hope in the fact that God’s love even transcends doubt. God loves both religions because of God’s grace. Questions: Who are the people who are living hand to mouth today? How does God call us to help them? Does everyone in your family accept Christ? What can you do to reach out to them and show them Christ in you?