Where Are You In The Crowd
Mark 6:45-46 (NLT) Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that His disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while He sent the people home. After telling everyone good-bye, He went up into the hills by Himself to pray.
This "Immediately after this" is the feeding of everyone there with the loaves of bread and fish that blessed everyone with/to their fill. We don't have a time frame here, but if Jesus experiences what I experience when we are leaving someplace and saying our 'good-bye's' - it can take an additional 30-90 minutes to actually leave LOL Because I know the next part in scripture, and I know that the disciples experience a storm out on the waters, I believe the time frame here is at least a few hours if not more, just to 'send the people home' let alone the amount of time that Jesus went up into the hills by Himself to pray. I like that the bible shows us that Jesus has compassion and grace towards everyone. He could have just said good-bye and got in the boat with the disciples, but He didn't. He chose to make a personal final appearance with the people. That is awesome! Sure, I think He made some sort of an announcement, that everyone needs to go home.... but then everyone witnessed watching the disciples getting into the boat and then the boat pushing off.... so, they knew it was "closing time" there in the field.
I see in my minds eye, some people just thankful for any amount of time watching and being near Jesus, and they leave and go home as requested. Then I see others, who are like people are today with celebrities, and they just wanted to stick around as long as possible. Groupies so to speak. I'm sure that some people were completely star-struck when they were near Him. It touched me here, that He took the time to say good-bye to those that needed that personal touch. Was that 10 people? 50? 100? We don't know for certain, but I fall back on my experiences, and KNOW how hard it is to leave someones home or have people leave our home when we have just had a really good visit! I can only imagine the same thing happened here.
Now, the "going up into the hills to pray by Himself" part struck me too! He had just been used by God to bless everyone and feed ALL of them! Men, women and children, everyone. His healing words spoken just before that. Then the personal conversations He had while eating. Plus, all of the personal bits of information He received as He said good-bye to those that needed it - He must have had a LOT on His heart! And of course, since He knew what was about to come with the storm and meeting the fellas at the boat via the water... He needed to have some time alone with His Father preparing for that. By climbing a hill, what did Jesus see? How high was He? Was it getting dark? In my minds eye, I believe that it was still light enough for people to walk and get home safely. However, coming up in this chapter, we get a time reference of "late at night" and then "3 & 4 am in the morning" the darkest time of the night. So, that means that Jesus was up on that hill, watching, observing, praying, communicating with God for several hours!
What popped in my head, was that Jesus was 'walking with and talking with' God, like Adam and Eve did in the garden of Eden. I am certain as Jesus was climbing the hill/mountain He was already talking with God. Then as He observed all He saw on the hill top, He would have then been praying specifically for each of the people He had just ministered to, spoke with, ate with, and what in their lives were about to come. PLUS, what was about to come with His meeting up with the disciples. No proof anywhere about what His personal, quiet time with God was like, but I believe it was in the 'here and now' at that moment in time for what was about to come.
Where would you have been when Jesus fed you and then said it was time to go home? Would you have been on the outskirts and turned and done as He said? Would you have wanted just a little bit closer of a look, touch or word with Him? Would you have straggled to the very last minute, being the very last person to leave and go home? Would you have been someone that waited and watched Him as He left, to see what direction He went, and what He did? LOL Like a little kid watching? Today, imagine yourself there in the crowd. You just heard Him speaking all day and touching your heart in ways no other person ever has. You feel the presence of God in such a big, full and tangible way! THEN you were right there, near the bread and fish that was brought to Jesus. You witnessed Him praying to God over all of the people and then blessing the food. You saw with your own eyes the baskets being passed and passed around each group as each person reached in and was able to take what was needed for them to have their fill. You saw Him laugh at jokes. You saw Him relaxed as He sat and ate. You then had the privilege of Him actually talking to you personally as He sent everyone home and said good-bye. Perhaps you even got a hand shake or a hug. Can you picture it?! Would you be in a hurry to leave? Or would you want to linger? THIS is how we should be when we read the bible and spend time in prayer with Jesus. Hanging on like some love-forlorn teenager at a rock concert of their very best favorite crush, that they dream of marrying some day!
You need to know, that God DOES single you out. Individually. Personally. Intentionally. He WANTS to spend time with you. I am praying that today, you can get away from all of the hustle and bustle of the day, and spend some time with Jesus. Walking, talking, eating, praying. Set a timer if you have to. If you were to actually meet Him for a coffee date, how would you be feeling? What would you want to talk to Him about? What concerns would you share? What victories would you express? Perhaps He is your car-buddy while you run errands or drive to and from work. Perhaps you are climbing a hill and getting a different view of your world... I say 'soak it all in' and enjoy your precious special carved out time with Him. Be well, be safe, and be blessed BIG time today!!
This "Immediately after this" is the feeding of everyone there with the loaves of bread and fish that blessed everyone with/to their fill. We don't have a time frame here, but if Jesus experiences what I experience when we are leaving someplace and saying our 'good-bye's' - it can take an additional 30-90 minutes to actually leave LOL Because I know the next part in scripture, and I know that the disciples experience a storm out on the waters, I believe the time frame here is at least a few hours if not more, just to 'send the people home' let alone the amount of time that Jesus went up into the hills by Himself to pray. I like that the bible shows us that Jesus has compassion and grace towards everyone. He could have just said good-bye and got in the boat with the disciples, but He didn't. He chose to make a personal final appearance with the people. That is awesome! Sure, I think He made some sort of an announcement, that everyone needs to go home.... but then everyone witnessed watching the disciples getting into the boat and then the boat pushing off.... so, they knew it was "closing time" there in the field.
I see in my minds eye, some people just thankful for any amount of time watching and being near Jesus, and they leave and go home as requested. Then I see others, who are like people are today with celebrities, and they just wanted to stick around as long as possible. Groupies so to speak. I'm sure that some people were completely star-struck when they were near Him. It touched me here, that He took the time to say good-bye to those that needed that personal touch. Was that 10 people? 50? 100? We don't know for certain, but I fall back on my experiences, and KNOW how hard it is to leave someones home or have people leave our home when we have just had a really good visit! I can only imagine the same thing happened here.
Now, the "going up into the hills to pray by Himself" part struck me too! He had just been used by God to bless everyone and feed ALL of them! Men, women and children, everyone. His healing words spoken just before that. Then the personal conversations He had while eating. Plus, all of the personal bits of information He received as He said good-bye to those that needed it - He must have had a LOT on His heart! And of course, since He knew what was about to come with the storm and meeting the fellas at the boat via the water... He needed to have some time alone with His Father preparing for that. By climbing a hill, what did Jesus see? How high was He? Was it getting dark? In my minds eye, I believe that it was still light enough for people to walk and get home safely. However, coming up in this chapter, we get a time reference of "late at night" and then "3 & 4 am in the morning" the darkest time of the night. So, that means that Jesus was up on that hill, watching, observing, praying, communicating with God for several hours!
What popped in my head, was that Jesus was 'walking with and talking with' God, like Adam and Eve did in the garden of Eden. I am certain as Jesus was climbing the hill/mountain He was already talking with God. Then as He observed all He saw on the hill top, He would have then been praying specifically for each of the people He had just ministered to, spoke with, ate with, and what in their lives were about to come. PLUS, what was about to come with His meeting up with the disciples. No proof anywhere about what His personal, quiet time with God was like, but I believe it was in the 'here and now' at that moment in time for what was about to come.
Where would you have been when Jesus fed you and then said it was time to go home? Would you have been on the outskirts and turned and done as He said? Would you have wanted just a little bit closer of a look, touch or word with Him? Would you have straggled to the very last minute, being the very last person to leave and go home? Would you have been someone that waited and watched Him as He left, to see what direction He went, and what He did? LOL Like a little kid watching? Today, imagine yourself there in the crowd. You just heard Him speaking all day and touching your heart in ways no other person ever has. You feel the presence of God in such a big, full and tangible way! THEN you were right there, near the bread and fish that was brought to Jesus. You witnessed Him praying to God over all of the people and then blessing the food. You saw with your own eyes the baskets being passed and passed around each group as each person reached in and was able to take what was needed for them to have their fill. You saw Him laugh at jokes. You saw Him relaxed as He sat and ate. You then had the privilege of Him actually talking to you personally as He sent everyone home and said good-bye. Perhaps you even got a hand shake or a hug. Can you picture it?! Would you be in a hurry to leave? Or would you want to linger? THIS is how we should be when we read the bible and spend time in prayer with Jesus. Hanging on like some love-forlorn teenager at a rock concert of their very best favorite crush, that they dream of marrying some day!
You need to know, that God DOES single you out. Individually. Personally. Intentionally. He WANTS to spend time with you. I am praying that today, you can get away from all of the hustle and bustle of the day, and spend some time with Jesus. Walking, talking, eating, praying. Set a timer if you have to. If you were to actually meet Him for a coffee date, how would you be feeling? What would you want to talk to Him about? What concerns would you share? What victories would you express? Perhaps He is your car-buddy while you run errands or drive to and from work. Perhaps you are climbing a hill and getting a different view of your world... I say 'soak it all in' and enjoy your precious special carved out time with Him. Be well, be safe, and be blessed BIG time today!!
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