With Jesus Even in the Desert

The good thing with Christianity is that we are with Jesus even in the desert, in 2015, in the remote areas, in Nairobi, basically with Jesus every where and at all times.. No matter where we are or what we face, what makes the difference is the name of Jesus, the Name above all other names, the Son of the Most High. With Jesus all things are possible!

Matthew 15:29-37 (also Mark 8:1-8) 

Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. ³⁰ Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them. ³¹ So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. ³² Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” ³³ Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?” ³⁴ Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.” ³⁵ So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. ³⁶ And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. ³⁷ So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left.

Look at the word ‘wilderness’ (remote). What does that mean to you? What comes to mind when you hear the word 'wilderness'? In a wilderness/desert is where you find drought, sunshine, a lot of sand, very short and thorny trees, and so on. It is a place of hopelessness, no food etc. This is where Jesus and His disciples were having a very big 'crusade'. January is a month of sunshine, where people complain that they cannot even find part-time jobs of tending for grass or flowers, the businesses are low and so on. It is a month that finds people having been were paid a long while ago and have even forgotten they were paid. It is a month of new begginings: for some, shifting into a new house, for many, getting new schools for their children, moving from rural to the city and vice versa. There seem to be so much in this month associated with drought, drought as a result of the hot weather, and drought as a result of financial limitations. 

Jesus brings the difference, even as the month comes to an end. Just as He was able to feed four thousand men in the desert, He is the same today, and is able to feed and take care of you. You might be in a remote area with your small business, but with Jesus this is what makes you know you are peculiar. You will not hunger nor lack even in that desert if you remain closer to Jesus, not only in January, but in 2015 in general. 

Not everyone went with Jesus onto the other side. What does that mean? In this year 2015, if you walk with Jesus, so close, that when He goes to Jericho, Capernaum, Nairobi and so on you are with Him, and that you do not tire up nor lag behind, you will never lack nor hunger; neither you, nor your children. 

Psalms 34:10

The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.

John 6:1-13

After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. ² Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased. ³ And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.⁴ Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. ⁵ Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” ⁶ But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. ⁷ Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.” ⁸ One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ⁹ “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” ¹⁰ Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. ¹¹ And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. ¹² So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” ¹³ Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.

In another occasion, He asked His disciples where to get bread and the Bible records that He already knew what He would do, but that He wanted to hear what they would say. I beseech you brethren, do not do anything according to your little mind and understanding, if you are with Jesus. Do not try to make it happen with your little or big salary, little or big income; just release it to Jesus, for He knows what He would do and how to do it.

Jesus used the fish and loaves from one of the people around Him. Do not be worried, even if you have nothing in your hands at the moment. The Lord’s blessings cannot be hindered, for He can even multiply what your neighbor has, for your sake. All we need to do is follow Him and listen to His sensitive voice. With Jesus, there is an abundance and even an overflow, in the desert. 

When Jesus found His disciples on the shore after resurrection, He calls Peter and orders them to put their nets in the sea, having fished the whole night and not caught even a single fish. They obeyed after hesitating a bit, and upon trusting in His Word, they got such a large catch that they could not be able to draw the net (John 21:1-8). 

Going back to our story, we see that in the second story of John 6:1-13,  the people ate until they had 12 baskets full of food remaining, while in the other occasion they had 7 baskets. With Jesus, you shall experience more than your expectations in this year. 

1.      Purpose in your heart and remain committed to the fact that in this year you will walk together with the Lord. Remain close to Him, and you shall never lack any good thing.

2.      Purpose and choose to listen to nothing but His voice, being very sensitive to remain under His feet, and you shall experience His abundance in whatever you do.

3.      Relax and trust in Him, as you wait on Him

John 14:1
“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me."


4.      Prepare yourself for the abundance of the Almighty in this month and year 2015, for the Lord blesses His children with abundance so that they can likewise be a blessing.


Blessings.


-- Beverline Andati. 

(18/01/15 Sunday Service Morning Exhortation, Teaching Transformation Ministry.)

Sister Beverline is a member of the praise and worship team, at Teaching Transformation Ministry. We are located along the Thika-Ruai Flyover Junction (at the Thika Rd./Bypass Intersection), next to Eastgate Restaurant.