Serving in the House

Today: Numbers 3-4

Do you ever think about what it takes to set up and tear down a major event? Think about the last professional sporting event you attended...or maybe a concert. Someone likely used massive trucks or cranes and/or a huge team of people to set up sound, lighting, trusses, sets and more. Someone cleaned the stadium (hopefully) before the event and after. Someone organized the programs and set up the food.

Most of the time, these things go unnoticed. You think about the people actually playing the game or your favorite band singing all your favorite songs.

Do you ever think about what it takes to care for God's House? Imagine back in the Desert when God's House was a portable tent with massive curtains and rods and tables and candles and all kinds of things to set up and move...without the benefit of trucks and trusses.

Although we may not always think about these tasks of service, God does. In today's passage, He designated people precisely for the tasks of what I call "set up and tear down." It's not glamorous (believe me, I've helped set up pipe and drape, chairs and tarps for worship services in school gyms before!). But our service in the House--whatever it is--matters to God. If you're responsible for sweeping the floor or pulling out the tarps, do it with care. If you read a story to the children, do it with a heart of love. If you sing on the worship team, give it your best. If you greet people at the door, smile with joy (even if you aren't a morning person!).

No matter what you're doing, you may be tempted to think "No one notices--they don't care if I'm here or not." Don't think that way. You're serving God. You're helping in His House. And believe me, He definitely cares about the fact that you're doing it...and how you're doing it. Serve the House with excellence.

Tomorrow: Numbers 5-6

Bread and a broken heart

Today: Mark 8-9

If I said or wrote, "I have a broken heart," what would you think?

You may think that I fell in love and lost it. You might think I got laid off. Or you could assume that some serious health issue was plaguing me, my family or a close friend.

But would you ever guess that I'd say, "I have a broken heart" because my friends were hungry?

Didn't think so.

(And by the way, I don't have that kind of a broken heart at the moment. These are the little mind games you can play as a writer for dramatic effect...mwah ha ha.) :)

But in today's chapters in Mark, Jesus did:

At about this same time he again

found himself with a hungry crowd on his hands.

He called his disciples together and said,

"This crowd is breaking my heart.

They have stuck with me for three days,

and now they have nothing to eat.

If I send them home hungry,

they'll faint along the way—

some of them have come a long distance."

Interesting. Most of the time when I think of Jesus having a broken heart, it's because of something more serious-- a man who is blind, a woman bleeding non stop, a little girl who is dead. But He gets a broken heart when people are hungry?

Let's be clear--the kind of hunger in this chapter doesn't even seem as compelling as those ads for World Vision with starving children with wide-eyed pain staring at you from the screen. The hungry people Jesus saw were not suffering because of a famine or widespread poverty. They were mostly regular people who just listened to Him and were so drawn into His message that they didn't stop to eat. That's all. But their hunger breaks Jesus' heart.

So what does He do? He multiples seven loaves of bread and feeds thousands. It's a miracle--but it's a miracle that meets a very basic, practical need.

When I think about this story, I think of people who believe God doesn't really care about them. They may believe God exists, but feel like He's got bigger issues (world poverty, war, famine, etc.) to deal with than providing them with a job, a roof over their heads, transportation or food for their family. But Jesus is different--this chapter shows us that His heart breaks over things like that. He cares--about the big things in our lives, but also the basic things.

It's interesting in these chapters that the topic of bread comes up again. A few paragraphs later, the disciples start arguing because they forgot to bring food on a trip. Here's Jesus' interesting reaction:

Jesus overheard and said,

"Why are you fussing because you forgot bread?

Don't you see the point of all this?

Don't you get it at all?

Remember the five loaves I broke for the five thousand?

How many baskets of leftovers did you pick up?"
They said, "Twelve."
And the seven loaves for the four thousand—

how many bags full of leftovers did you get?"
"Seven."
He said, "Do you still not get it?"

I think Jesus' questions show us that He was trying to teach the disciples...and us...something through these stories. What do you think it was?

I'm guessing that it's something like this--God cares about you and your specific needs. He takes care of you. Remember that He took care of you before. He'll do it again. And He's bigger than your expectations--He can give you more than you need. He keeps His promises. Believe it--and remember.

Tomorrow: Mark 10-11