Mark 8:10-21 KJV
10 And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha.
11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.
12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.
13 And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side.
14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.
15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.
16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.
17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?
18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?
19 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.
20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.
21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

Pharisees came seeking a sign, they were not with the 4000 people that were feed, but they came seeking evidence of who Jesus was. How much more evidence did the Pharisees need. John the Baptist the forerunner of Jesus. Jesus born of virgin. The evidence of the Holy Spirit anointing at Jesus' baptism and these leaders need a sign. Jesus gets in to the ship and departs to the other side and say no sign will be given this generation. Had they believe Herod account of killing the baby boys in Bethelehem, had they believe the government over the reality of who Jesus was? I don't know. No sign being asked would be given to them, for the evidence had already been given even through healings. Were the disciples any better off, they fail to bring bread with them on the ship. Had they expected Jesus to feed them after seeing the five thousand and four thousand feed. What was their problem, did they doubt that Jesus did not see their need and would not fulfill the need for food? Had they been so long with Jesus that they doubted even still. Did they not know if they were able they need to provide for their own need.

How many of us have known of healings and miracles in our own life and even stories of past miracles and still doubt or lack the faith of the miracle. I hold to my miracle maybe a little to much, but yet even in my own mind with the reality, I still lack faith at times of God's ability, why not because it been over 20 years actually 21 years since that major miracle in my life. I seen alot more things since that time and I still struggle. Why because of my humanity. The reality of God is clear, the reality of Jesus is real, but what is not the factor of when we ask God is the fact he is able to do more then we ask. He is touched by our needs. The Holy Spirit intercedes in our behalf and yet we long for what? Disciples concerned they had no bread, and yet they just ate in abundance of food that came from so little with the crowd that had been feed. HOw could they not understand God's compassion for them.

We walk in a world of evil, but we live in the compassion of God for all that believe. We walk in the shadow of God Almighty, but we also walk in the covering of God's hand. The shadow God is not without power but God's unchanging hand in our life is with power that is his to control. His shadow only reminds us of his love in the darkness of the night when the light not so bright. The shadow of death we fear not evil why because God's shadow gives us the knowledge that death is only a portal to him as a believer. There those that are hungry right now in our nation and around the world that look from the eyes they see, not another meal sometimes coming. Many Americans look in their refrig and see more then one meal. What we see is finite and what we know is finite, and wrestle with what one sees and not with the faith of enough baskets of leftovers to carry the tired and full crowd home.

Those that been hungry and are saved know that one piece of bread, one piece of meat, an apple, a vegetable left over is a blessing even if it from the trash bin. Why because it looks like a feast. Those with Jesus never had to eat out of a trash bin. those with Jesus did not go away hungry. Jesus says not to worry about what you will eat and drink. Yet we all do that very thing. Our humanity trumps our faith with our eyes for a moment. Our faith not seeing what God will provide only what we long for.

There are in life when our faith is not as strong as we like it to be. We must take our faith and put it before us. Put the love of God and Christ in front of us. We must realize how hungry the crowd was, to understand those in the wilderness faced similiar fait of hunger when they began to grumble. The crowd Jesus feed did not seek Jesus for food, he was moved by compassion on their need. Moses had to seek God for the need of the people. As a believer in Christ we have confidence knowing God loves the sparrows and takes care of them. We can have confidence God will take care of us according to his will and purpose for our life. That he will take us through even when what we see seems impossible.

The other day I was reminded of a dream I had, I had some issues I been concerned with. Part of the dream made sense. I was in my pickup driving and a reached a wooden bridge that was old, and debated whether to go across on my own. On the other side of the bridge was two pathways one that went around the wood and the other through the woods. I was alone, and I realize I had to make a decision on which way I was going. Both lead to the same destination. As sitting on the other side of the bridge looking forward that thought came to me I had to go across the bridge to go in which ever direction. I make the decision to cross it. We often have to decide to the take bridge or not to cross over the bridge or find another way over to the other side that might appear safer but is not. Those who live on back country roads you now about those old bridges that you wonder if they will break and yet they hold up longer then some steel bridges. I however in the dream would be crossing that bridge alone and the choice would be mine whether I was in the heat of the sun or in the cool and sometimes coldness of the woods in the dark.

Our faith is much like the decision of a wood bridge. We must cross the bridge in faith that it will hold and it will be strong enough to go in which ever direction life would take us, but the choice was yours to cross the bridge and go down which ever road because both roads had the same out come. Faith on the high road or the low road will take you to heaven. Both are roads, but God's knows which pathway is best for you. It like the road of faith that you wonder where you next meal ticket coming from, or the road that guarantees almost everytime a meal. Both roads takes a lot of faith either way. Yet you can be on both roads with the same type of coinsequences. Faith is needed on the journey. Why because there things in life that are just hard, and faith in Jesus is the only thing that will deliver an open door, and solution to the problem through prayer and sometimes even fasting for it. To trust and obey there is no other way. To follow in the Spirit of God has he directs. A time in my life, i worried about the next meal, and a door was open and I ate. God's doors are filled with not only food for the stomach but food for the soul. I had both at the open door.

Dear Heavenly Father, feed our hearts and our soul, knowing the signs we seek are the not the signs given to us. That we must trust in faith you know our need and that when ask you will provide according to your will in our life. That you even care for the sparrows. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Luke 12:7 KJV
7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.