The disciples knew empowerment, but they also knew weakness.

In Mark chapter 6, the story is recorded where they were sent out by Jesus with the power over evil spirits and to heal. They returned with stories of demons being cast out and people being miraculously healed. However, when the crowd looking for Jesus caught up to them, there was a crisis (thousands of people and no food).

When the disciples inquired of the Lord about the need, He said,

“You give them something to eat.”

Their response,

“Shall we go and buy two-hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?”

– Mark 6:37 NKJV

What happened next is the very familiar story of Jesus feeding the five-thousand, but consider the moment in light of where the disciples had just come from. They had literally just been the instruments of healing and casting out demons in dramatic fashion, but when it came to groceries, they were looking for coins. We do that sometimes. Jesus proves himself faithful in powerful, awe-inspiring ways, then a grocery crisis pops-up and we start digging through the “couch cushions” of our life for nickels and dimes.

In both situations (twelve being sent out, and feeding the five-thousand) the power was the Lord’s. The disciples were always powerless in their own abilities. It was the Lord’s authority that sent demons fleeing, the mention of His name that mended broken bodies, and His miraculous provision refreshing the basket each time bread was drawn out. They were “power-less”, but He was “power-full”.

In what ways will His power be displayed in your life today?