Blogging Through The Gospels: Matthew 14

Good morning everyone! Welcome to a brand-new week! Today's chapter is Matthew 14--on John the Baptist being beheaded, Jesus feeding the five thousand, and Jesus walking on the water. With reading Matthew 14 today this means we are halfway through Matthew!!

So....naturally, I couldn't just do my SOAP. I found another verse that I felt like I needed to share with you first, so here it is...

"When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick." ~Matthew 14:14

Jesus had just received the terrible news that his cousin John the Baptist had been killed, so Jesus had gone out in the lake for some alone time. But the crowds followed Jesus, and when he saw their need "he had compassion on them and healed their sick." I just love that verse!

Now for my SOAP. There were several parts of the chapter I liked--Jesus feeding the 5,000, Jesus walking on the water--but what really stuck me was how Jesus made time to be alone, get away from everyone, and reconnect with His Father.

Scripture

"When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place."~Matthew 14:13

"Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray."
~Matthew 14:22-23

Observation:

Throughout Jesus' very busy ministry, He always made time for Him and His Father to be alone. He made sure he had time in which he could get away from the hubbub of real life, and reconnect with His Father. To make sure He was doing the right thing, and to pray for strength. In other words, he made sure he had quiettime.

Application:

You and I too need "alone time" with God to make sure we're doing the right thing. To pray for strength and other things we need. And as our society gets busier and busier, our need to get off the Internet, turn off that iPod, and get away from any other thing is getting greater. To just be still, and listen to what God is saying, whether that be through Bible study or just being quiet and listening. Quiettime--alone time with God--is crucial to our survival these days.

"Be still, and know that I am God" ~Psalms 46:10

Prayer:

Dear God, thank You for letting me read this passage today. Help me to find time for quiettime with You, and listen to what You're trying to tell me. Amen. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

P.S.--To learn more about this blogging-through-the-gospels program, or if YOU would like to join yourself (you're more than welcome-jump right in!!) click here.