[To the disciples worried about the hungry crowd of 5,000, Jesus said], “You give them something to eat” (Mark 6:37).

The disciples see a problem and suggest a practical solution: the people are hungry; they should be sent home so they can get some food. Jesus challenges — even taunts — the disciples to imagine something beyond “practical.” Yes, it is Jesus who miraculously multiples the fish and the loaves, but before he can do that, the disciples have to entrust their meager and inadequate resources to him.

Where in your life do you feel that your resources are inadequate to the problem you are facing? Where is Jesus calling you to trust? Why is this scary? Pray about some specific thing — time, talent, or treasure — that you can put into his hands, to see what he can do with it.

–Mark Galli
This is part of Mark Galli’s guided journal, “Discovering the Untamable God,” a 12-week journey through the Gospel of Mark. Twice a week, you’ll receive a new journaling prompt encouraging you encounter the wild, untamable Jesus of the Gospel of Mark and let his radical sayings and actions transform your life. Use these prompts in your own journal or in group discussion. If you’re joining this journal mid-way through, you can start journaling at any time, and stay subscribed at the end, when the journal will restart and you can receive the prompts that you missed.