Monday Encouragement Devotional from Pastors.com

“His followers discussed the meaning of this, saying, ‘He said this because we have no bread.’ Knowing what they were talking about, Jesus asked them, ‘Why are you talking about not having bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your minds closed?’”
Mark 8:16-17 (NCV)

When you focus on the wrong things, you miss what God is doing in your ministry.

For example, when your attention is only on the here and now, you miss God’s long-term plan.

When you just think about comfort, you miss out on character.

When you concentrate on happiness, you forget holiness.

When you just want to enjoy the moment, you may not prepare for eternity.


And when your thinking is short-term, you miss seeing the spiritual work God is doing all around you.

This is what happened to the disciples in Mark 8.

The Bible says, “Then Jesus left the Pharisees and went in the boat to the other side of the lake.

His followers had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat; they had forgotten to bring more.

Jesus warned them, ‘Be careful! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod’” (Mark 8:13-15 NCV).

But the disciples missed the point: “His followers discussed the meaning of this, saying, ‘He said this because we have no bread.’ Knowing what they were talking about, Jesus asked them, ‘Why are you talking about not having bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your minds closed?’” (Mark 8:16-17 NCV).

Using yeast as a metaphor, Jesus was trying to teach his disciples a lesson about pride.

But they didn’t understand the deeper meaning—they thought he was talking about lunch!

While Jesus was talking about the need for maturity, his disciples were talking about their next meal.

That’s short-term thinking.

Whenever you’re thinking short-term, you can’t see the larger picture of what God is doing in your ministry.

So ask God today to give you a glimpse into eternity and to help you experience the hope that comes from seeing his long-term plan.

🌟 Our New 2021 Christmas Sermon Bundle Is HERE! 🌟

Explore 11 messages of hope and healing you can preach this Christmas season with our 2021 Christmas Sermon Bundle: 
A Time for Healing... A Time for Hope!

Did you miss our last Monday Encouragement?

Want to Get Encouraging Messages Like This for Pastors and Leaders Sent Directly to Your Inbox Every Week?

CUSTOM JAVASCRIPT / HTML

Copyright 2020-2024 Pastors.com