Welcome back to a series of three posts on two stories about prayer and provision.

We’re picking up on the list of some observations from the way Jesus fed the large crowd.

+++

Our uncertainty doesn’t limit God’s capacity to work.

He told them all what to do, step by step.

And though the crowd saw the food, the disciples saw the process of bread and fish from not enough, and left with more than enough for EACH of them.

Jesus isn’t willing be turned into the kind of king we think he should be.

Jesus left the crowd. They wanted a miracle worker. That’s not why he came. They wanted someone who would DO for them; he came to DIE for them.

Jesus comes to his people when the times feel darkest.

In the wind and the rough water, Jesus could see the disciples and then came to them.

He may not bring what you want, but he brings himself.

+++

Let’s go back to Paul’s prayer.

1.  To be strengthened inside with God’s power
2. To know Christ through faith.
3. Be rooted and grounded in love.
4. To have that knowledge in community
5. To be overwhelmed in the process of experiencing God’s love.
6. To know the love of God that surpasses knowledge.

Wouldn’t that be amazing? Wouldn’t it be so cool for Paul’s prayer to come true so that everything would be perfect?

Prayers aren’t wishes; they don’t come true.

Everything perfect doesn’t mean that nothing bad happens.

Paul is talking about strength of relationship that says, we will move through this, God, together.

So that when there are the particular things, there is context, there is resilience, there is something to fall into: the arms and compassion of a loving God who works in ways we don’t understand to bring meaning that helps now and will make sense some day.