Have you ever been in a desperate situation or around people who were desperate for something? I remember going on the mission trip with Dick and  DoraMae some years ago.  As I read the Scripture of Jesus feeding the 5000 the time on the mission  trip came to my mind.  In Myanmar it’s not difficult  to see desperation.  They have so little.  They are desperate for the basics of daily living - not luxuries, but necessities.  One of the things done on the mission trip is to take people in the medical field and run a medical clinic for those who live in the towns and villages. People come from miles away to attend a free clinic. They arrive early and wait a couple of hours to see the doctors.  If they don’t get there early, they might be left out. They’re desperate!  Being in Myanmar helped to bring this passage to life for me.

Jesus had just heard the news that his cousin, John the Baptist had been killed by being beheaded.  He was desperate to get away and to process with His heavenly Father in prayer.  But, the crowds were more desperate for a touch from Jesus. They followed Him.  And when Jesus saw them, He was filled with compassion.  He healed them, fed them and taught them spiritual truths.  The disciples were desperate, too.  They saw the crowds, they were aware of the food choices, and the money available to them. They were desperate for Jesus to get rid of the people so they could eat. When Jesus says to them, “You give them something to eat,” my guess is that their desperation only grew.

Jesus met the crowd and the disciples at their point of desperation.  He knew the anxiousness of His disciples.  He knew the needs of the crowd, and Jesus knew exactly what to do.  Jesus knows your needs too.  He sees your desperation for someone in your family to be healed.  He sees your pain and your desperation to be free of the burdens that weigh you down. He sees you, He knows you, and He meets you at the very point of your desperation with exactly what you need.  Jesus knows that what you need most is Him, and He is right there with His presence in your life.  His promise to Joshua (Joshua 1:5) is His promise to you...

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”