Your Mind Set – Part 1
Mark 8: 14-21
14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15 “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”
16 They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”
17 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”
“Twelve,” they replied.
20 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”
They answered, “Seven.”
21 He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
Jesus was having a discussion with his disciples trying to warn them to stay away from the wrong doctrine of the Pharisees and of Herod. However, for some reasons the disciples misunderstood his words to mean he was referring to bread for food, and it got me thinking of how many times the Lord tries to reach us about certain things but we interpret his words in line with our current situations. We view his instructions through the lens of what our current issues are:
- Food to eat
- What to wear
- Current Job search
- Lack of money in our account
- Ill health
- Life Partner
- Etc
From the passage we read, we see that the Disciples had forgotten to bring bread (food) with them for the journey, and as such they had mentally calculated in their mind that they would be hungry during the trip, little wonder that the only way they could interpret the Lord’s words were in line with where their thoughts were focused on at the moment: FOOD.
Jesus is still speaking today. He is talking to us every day. Visiting with us, encouraging us and instructing us. The question is: How are you interpreting his words. So many times you hear people say: ‘But it was the Lord that told me. He spoke, I heard clearly and I acted. So how come things are so wrong’?
- Yes, the Lord Spoke
- Yes, you heard clearly
However, you may have interpreted his instructions based on where your mind was set at that moment. Thereby corrupting the entire message.
As you continue in this week, I encourage you to pray this prayer that David prayed:
Psalm 139: 23-24
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
God Bless You
