Good Morning and welcome to today's Daily Scripture Word!

Well, I have used up all the questions that have been handed in and I still have two days left before I close this blog down for this year, so I am just going to give a little challenge and encouragement taken from the Feeding of the Five Thousand.

• Matthew 14:13-14, “When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities. And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.”

These verses are the opening words to that moment we now call – The Feeding of The Five Thousand. Yet how many of you would know that this event was not supposed to happen? That in fact, this was a time of great sadness for the Disciples and our Saviour?

Before we can get into the miracle and the feeding itself, you need to understand the circumstances that brought this amazing account to pass. If you were to glance back up through the passage, you would quickly find three people who stand out: John the Baptist, Herod, and Salome – the daughter of Herodias. The occasion was Herod’s birthday and Herod was not a man of God! He was a worldly man through and through, and the preaching of the likes of John the Baptist REALLY stirred him – so much that he had had John imprisoned.

Herod had married him a new wife (his brother’s wife actually!) and John the Baptist didn’t hold back in telling Herod how immoral that was! Well, Herodias was not a happy-chappy! She had it 'in' for Preacher John and was just biding her time!

Come Herod’s Birthday and that time came along! Mamma Herodias sent sweet little daughter in to dance for her new Daddy – and you can just imagine it wasn’t just any old dance! SO IMPRESSED by this display, new Daddy Herod promises to get this girl ANYTHING SHE WANTED – and Mamma pounced! The result was the beheading of Preacher John!

“When Jesus heard of it, he departed…”. He wanted nothing to do with these people. As a human, and as God, His heart was broken and saddened for his cousin John the Baptist. Jesus departs seeking solitude and time to reflect. Such an action is not unusual when one loses a family member, a loved one. In fact MOST people want to be left alone at such times.

Can I make my first point by reading you a verse from Hebrews 4? There in Verse 15 we read:

• “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

The God I serve, the God of The Bible, The One and only TRUE God, is a God who KNOWS our feelings, KNOWS our sufferings, KNOWS our weaknesses and temptations and grieves with us! IN THIS instance, I see God sensitive to emotions! 

WE ALL have emotions – moments when we feel overwhelmed, frustrated, feelings of abandonment – yet can I tell you with full assurance: you are not alone! NOT ONLY IS God right there beside you, He also feels the pain!  And it is IN those moments God reaches out and says to us in the very next verse:

• Hebrews 4:16, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

I don't know if you are struggling today, whether or not life seem overwhelming for you, or for that matter if life is good for you right now, the truth remains: we have a place to go, and a Person to turn to when all else fails!  That place is God's Own Throne!  That Person is Jesus!  And coming into that great Throne Room, and kneeling before the Great God and Our Saviour Jesus Christ, you will find grace, mercy, and help!  For the Great God knows what it is like to live in this World as a human!

Have you gone to Christ today?  Have you headed into that great Throne room to find some grace, some mercy, some help for this day in front of you?  Why not do so now?