Key Passage

The followers had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. They forgot to bring more bread. Jesus warned them, "Be careful! Guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod." The followers discussed the meaning of this. They said, "He said this because we have no bread." Jesus knew that the followers were talking about this. So Jesus asked them, "Why are you talking about having no bread? You still don't see or understand? Are you not able to understand? Do you have eyes that can't see? Do you have ears that can't hear? Remember what I did before, when we did not have enough bread?"

— Mark 8:14-18 ERV (Read Full Text)

Key Thought

Worry is a sign we've forgotten the great blessings and providence of God in our past. That is why the praise we offer to God for what he has done for us is so important. Praise is a time when we rehearse and remember the great things God has done and remember the great God he has been in the past and has promised to be in our future. It helps us acknowledge that God is and was and will be the great provider and Shepherd for his sheep.

Prayer

O LORD God, you are my Great Shepherd. I recognize that every good thing I have comes from you. Forgive me for the times in the past when I have doubted your active providence in my life and worried about your sustaining grace for the future. I know that you can bless, support and sustain. Thank you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Related Scriptures

The Lord is my shepherd. I will always have everything I need. He lets me lie down in green pastures. He leads me by calm pools of water. He gives new strength to my soul for the good of his name. He leads me on paths of goodness, to show he is truly good.
— Psalm 23:1-3

Powerful people will become weak and hungry. But the people that go to God for help will have every good thing.
— Psalm 34:10

Everything good comes from God. And every perfect gift is from God. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky (sun, moon, stars). But God never changes {like those lights}. He is always the same. God decided to give us life through the word of truth. He wanted us to be the most important of all the things he made.
— James 1:17-18