We are couple of weeks into the New Year and have seen God satisfying our needs and repeatedly experience it in our lives. However, the blessings of the years passed have limited our relationship with God. For this reason, as a new year begins, anxiety engulfs us and we forget God’s enormous power.

Satisfaction Leads to constrains 

 “And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.” Mark 8:8

More than four thousand people were fed by Jesus out of seven loaves of bread and few fishes. The crowd was satisfied and they had collected the remaining loaves which filled up seven baskets. Satisfaction diverts our attention from God. Anything in excess keeps us busy holding on to them. They were unable to understand the compassion of Jesus and how much He cared to feed them. In spite of the satisfaction they derived, the remaining baskets of loaves attracted their attention and they wanted to have them too. In the succeeding verses the disciples realized that they forgot to bring the leftovers with them. No one reminded the disciples about the baskets. The disciples were afraid of Jesus thinking that He was scolding them for not bringing the remaining baskets with them. In both the instances the focus is on the bread.

Living in the Word

 “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:3

In the wilderness God allowed the Israelite to be hungry in order to make them understand His power and care. At the same time God is not willing to prolong the suffering of his people. He blesses them and expects that they should understand His power but people always forget the provider once they are satisfied. Present day Christians are more program oriented people and they are extremely satisfied by the way they conduct their programs but are diverted from the reasons for which the program was conducted. While organizing such program the focus is more on creating awareness about their ministry rather than proclaiming the word of God. First the purpose is forgotten because of the satisfaction and now the purpose is deviated.

Formed to Worship

“And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?” Mark 8:21

Jesus is saying that we do not understand the purpose for which we were created. Disciples did not understand the power of their master’s words but were depending on the recently performed miracle. They were not able to understand the presence of the provider. The creator never fails to cater to his people. He does not want his people to worry but to understand his provision and praise Him always.

“the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.” Isaiah 43:21.

We utterly fail in fulfilling the purpose for which we are formed. The moment we derive the optimum satisfaction we forget God. We have to learn from Psalmist how to praise Him.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. Psalms 23:1-2

 Do not Worry

“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” – Matthew 6:26

Jesus is asking us to look at his creations to understand His provision and not to worry. In the book of Numbers we can see God made a donkey to speak like a man in order to educate Balaam. In the book of Daniel God bound the mouth of the lions in order to open the eyes of the King and his people. God ordered a fish and it obeyed him when Jonah did not. God made a rooster to crow three times to rejuvenate Peter. He is having control on everything. In this New Year God assures us by saying, “Are you not of more value than they?” Let us give God control over us amidst our blessings so that we may not go astray.