Hungry Hearts

Well, now, friend, pull up one o’ them there cushiony chairs that sits steadier than a lil’ ol’ fat possum perched up on a tree stump ‘cause this here passage starts out like it’s been watchin a lil’ ol’ smart-alec squirrel tryin’ to teach a flock of chickens how to do some line dancin’. You can tell somethin’ is happenin’, but you also sho’-nuff’ know that half the crowd done showed up for reasons that ain’t got nothin’ to do with that there dancin’ lesson. That’s exactly what Jesus was pointin’ out in John 6:26, which says, “Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, you are lookin’ for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.’” That’s Bible-speak for folks were followin Him, not ‘cause they understood the miracle, but ‘cause they had eaten the loaves and had their fill. In other words, they was there for the biscuits, not the blessin’.

But, listen here, friend, that there’s real human nature. Some folks come to Jesus lookin’ for help, or comfort, or a miracle, or maybe just a break from the storms of life. And Jesus, we’re so grateful for His holy patience, He never shooed any of those folks away like a farmer chasin’ lil’ ol’ rascally raccoons off the corn out in the field. He fed the five thousand in John 6:1-14 knowin’ full well that many were followin’ Him like real hungry deer trailin’ a man with a full feed bucket. He healed folks who never even took time to thank Him. He loved people who just wandered off like confused goats starin’ at a closed gate.

And here’s the part that gits to settlin’ real deep down in the soul. Jesus kept right on servin’ anyway. He knew that some folks who came for bread would one day be stayin’ for the Bread of Life. He knew that a heart can start off in the wrong place and still end up kneelin’ down in the right place after all. That’s why His words in John 6:26 ain’t scoldin. They’re invitin. He was sayin, “Friend, I know why you came, but I also know what you truly need.”

So, when you serve in the ministry God has given to you, don’t be lettin’ any mixed motives git to twistin’ your heart into a big ol’ knot. Some folks will drift in and drift right back out like a lil’ ol’ sly fox wanderin’ past a henhouse. But God knows how to handle people’s real motives. Your job right now is to meet the need in front of you and trust Him with the heart behind it.

Father, help me to serve with Your compassion. Teach me to love people even when their motives are mixed. Give me grace to meet needs, patience to trust Your timing, and faith to believe You are workin in ways I cannot see. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Now, friend, as you step off this porch and right back into the adventures o’ your day, keep planted down deep in your heart that folks may just be comin’ for the bread, but God can still reach right on into their hearts ‘a-fore the crumbs git to settlin’ in. He sees every hidden hunger, every wanderin soul, every twist in the trail, and every seed He’s been plantin’. Keep right on servin’, keep right on trustin’, and keep right on rememberin’ that the One who fed the multitudes is still feedin’ hearts today, one lil’ ol’ need at a time.

With joy,

Gwen