Pastor Gary's OYB Devotion Archive for May 9

THAT NOTHING MAY BE LOST

From: May 9, 2026

‘And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.”’ (John 6:12 ESV).

In John 6, the apostle John recorded Jesus’ miraculous feeding of the five thousand. After multiplying a little boy’s lunch of five barley loaves and two fish, Jesus commanded that the leftovers be collected. And the disciples gathered twelve baskets full. Jesus had provided more than enough. The leftovers demonstrated the overflowing abundance of Christ’s provision for His people. In this miracle, John presented Jesus as the true giver of divine provision, greater than Moses and the manna given in the wilderness.

Jesus’ command to gather the fragments also revealed His wisdom and care. The abundance of God’s provision was not an excuse for wastefulness. Christ taught His disciples to practice faithful stewardship even in times of plenty. John’s Gospel often used physical events to point toward deeper spiritual truths. Jesus’ words, “that nothing may be lost,” anticipated His later promise that He would lose none of those the Father had given Him (John 6:39). Just as the fragments were carefully gathered, so Christ faithfully preserves all who belong to Him.

We may often fear loss. We worry that what matters most may slip away from us. Yet Jesus reminds us that in Him nothing good is ever truly lost. Our salvation is secure in His hands. Our labor for Him is not wasted. Our prayers are not forgotten. Even our suffering is not meaningless. Christ is sufficient for every need, and His provision always exceeds our expectations.

The apostle Peter reminds believers that we have an inheritance “kept in heaven” for us (1 Peter 1:4). Therefore, we can live with gratitude, faithful stewardship, and confident trust in His preserving care. Because of Christ, we can rest in the promise that nothing He provides and promises for us will ever be lost.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for Your abundant provision through Your Son. Forgive us for doubting Your sufficiency and for wasting the gifts You have entrusted to us. Help us to be faithful stewards of all You provide. Teach us to rest in the assurance that our lives are secure in Christ and that nothing good promised in Him will ever be lost. In Jesus’ name, amen.

LITTLE IN OUR HANDS, MUCH IN HIS

From: May 9, 2025

“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” (John 6:9 ESV).

Andrew brought a young boy to Jesus who had a small and poor lunch, just five barley loaves and two fish. Barley bread was the food of the poor, and the lunch was barely enough to feed one person. Yet Andrew still brought the boy, and the boy gave all he had. What seemed insufficient in human eyes became more than enough in the hands of Jesus. He took the little that was offered, gave thanks, and multiplied it to feed over five thousand people, with twelve baskets left over. Jesus delights in using the young, the small, and the poor to accomplish great things. The power was not in the size of the gift, but in the faith and willingness to surrender it fully to Him.

We often look at what we have—our time, abilities, or resources—and feel it is not enough to make a difference. But Jesus is not limited by how much we have. He looks for hearts that are willing to surrender fully. Like Andrew, we can bring others to Jesus, even when the situation seems too big. Like the boy, we can offer all we have, trusting that Jesus can do more with it than we ever could ourselves. When we place our little in His hands, He provides more than enough. He not only meets the needs of others, but He also satisfies us in the process.

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for reminding us that what we have is enough when we give it to You. Forgive us for the times we have held back because we thought our offering was too small. Give us the faith of Andrew to bring people to Jesus, and the faith of the young boy to offer all we have. Help us to trust that You can take what we surrender and use it for Your glory and the good of many. Multiply what we give and make it a blessing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

DO YOU FOLLOW THE MASTER OR THE MIRACLES?

From: May 9, 2024

“And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick” (John 6:2 ESV).

The apostle John reported that large crowds began to follow Jesus in the Galilee region because of the “signs” he was doing. John called the miracles of Jesus “signs” for they were given that people might believe in him as the Messiah.

The crowds grew even larger after Jesus fed the 5,000, miraculously multiplying two fish and five loaves of barley to feed them all with twelve baskets leftover. Yet, the miraculous “signs” were not given that they might seek more miracles, but that they might seek the Master himself.

Signs are not designed to point to themselves, but to give direction and verification. No one pulls off the road and parks under a sign thinking they have arrived. No, they take the exit and follow the sign to that to which it points.

The crowd seeks a sign, a true disciple seeks the Savior. The crowd wants another miracle, a true disciple follows after the Master. What do you follow after–– the miracles or the Master?

PRAYER: Dear Father, forgive us for only seeking after you when we are in desperate need. Teach us to seek after you in order to follow, to look not only to your hand, but to your face. We are your servants. We worship you in Spirit and truth because we have accepted Jesus as Master and Savior. We thank you for your many blessings. In Jesus’ name, amen.

HERE I RAISE MY EBENEZER!

From: May 9, 2023

‘Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (which means “the stone of help”), for he said, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!”’ (1 Samuel 7:12 NLT).

Samuel called the Israelites to Mizpah for an assembly of repentance and recommitment, but the Philistines heard about their gathering and attacked. God fought for Israel and they overcame the Philistines for the first time in a generation. There, Samuel set up a large stone to remind them of God’s help, calling it “Ebenezer,” meaning “stone of help.”

Samuel understood that we are a forgetful people and need reminders. Some of us journal, writing it down when God rescues. Some carry a chip to commemorate their years of sobriety. Some keep a photo or certificate. Others compose a song, like “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” singing: “Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come; and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.”

Do you have an “Ebenezer” to remember what God has done for you? If not, get one. Then, raise it high today! Remember and be encouraged!

PRAYER: Dear Father, we are often forgetful. Help us to remember all the great things You have done for us. Above them all, help us to look to the cross, the “Ebenezer,” that reminds us of the most costly thing You’ve done for us by giving us Your Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. We look to Him and remember that we have received a great salvation. Now strengthen us to tell others of Your great love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark of the Lord again. This time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway. Only the trunk of his body was left intact” (1 Samuel 5:4 NLT).

From: May 9, 2022

GOD WILL NOT SHARE HIS WORSHIP WITH ANOTHER

The Philistines had defeated the Israelites in battle and had captured the Ark of the Lord. They assumed that the Ark would make a nice addition to their temple to Dagon, so they placed it next to the idol of Dagon.

The Philistines had been a seafaring people that settled along the shores of the Promised Land. They fashioned an idol of their god, Dagon, as a kind of mer-man, with the upper half being fashioned as a man and the lower half, a fish.

After they defeated the Israelites in battle, they assumed that Dagon was more powerful than Israel’s God. So they put the Ark, which represented Yahweh’s throne next to the image of Dagon as a kind of defeated subject. Or perhaps even more likely, they added the Ark to Dagon’s temple thinking that they would worship Yahweh too, as polytheistic peoples are want to do. In this way, they covered all their bases. For they had heard how Israel’s God had delivered them from Egypt.

They were surprised to find the image of Dagon lying on its face before the Ark the first morning after they had placed it in their temple. So they stood the image of Dagon back in its place. However, the next morning, they found Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark again. Except this time, his head and hands had broken off, perhaps showing the falseness of his divinity (head) and power (hands). They realized then that they had to get the Ark out of Dagon’s temple for Israel’s God is God! As the prophet Isaiah later wrote of God, “I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images” (Isa. 42:8).

We can be like the Philistines. Instead of worshiping the Lord only, we try to add Him to our pantheon of idols. We too try to cover all our bases. But God will not allow this. If we would have Him as our Lord, we must recognize Him as Lord over all. For He will not share His glory with another.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we have come to You through Jesus Your Son, believing in His payment on the cross for our sins. We declare that He is both Savior and Lord over us, over our heads and our hands, over our plans and our work, over our possessions and our families, over all that we have and all that we are. In Jesus’ name, amen.

‘Afterward, Samuel took a stone and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, explaining, “The Lord has helped us to this point.”’ (1 Samuel 7:12 HCSB).

From: May 9, 2021

HERE I RAISE MY EBENEZER!

Samuel called the Israelites to Mizpah for an assembly of repentance and recommitment, but the Philistines heard about their gathering and attacked. God fought for Israel and they overcame the Philistines for the first time in a generation. There, Samuel set up a large stone to remind them of God’s help, calling it “Ebenezer,” meaning “stone of help.”

Samuel understood that we are a forgetful people and need reminders. Some of us journal, writing it down when God rescues. Some carry a chip to commemorate their years of sobriety. Some keep a photo or certificate. Others compose a song, like “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” singing: “Here I raise mine Ebenezer; hither by thy help I’m come; and I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home.”

Do you have an “Ebenezer” to remember what God as done for you? If not, get one. If so, raise it today and be reminded and encouraged!

PRAYER: Dear Father, we are often forgetful. Help us to remember all the great things You have done for us. Above them all, help us to look to the cross, the “Ebenezer,” that reminds us of the most costly thing You’ve done for us by giving us Your Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. We look to Him and remember that we have received a great salvation. Now strengthen us to tell others of Your great love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark of the LORD again. This time his head and hands had broken off and were lying in the doorway” (1 Samuel 5:4 NKJV).

From: May 9, 2020

GOD WILL NOT SHARE HIS WORSHIP WITH ANOTHER

The Philistines had defeated the Israelites in battle and had captured the Ark of the Lord. They assumed that the Ark would make a nice addition to their temple to Dagon, so they placed it next to the idol of Dagon.

The Philistines were a seafaring people that had settled along the shores of the Promised Land. They fashioned an idol of Dagon as a kind of mer-man, with the upper half being a man and the lower half a fish.

After they defeated the Israelites in battle, they may have assumed that Dagon was more powerful than Yahweh. So they put the Ark, which represented Yahweh’s throne next to the image of Dagon as a kind of defeated subject. Or perhaps even more likely, they added the Ark to Dagon’s temple thinking that they would worship Yahweh too, as polytheistic peoples are want to do. In this way, they covered all their bases. For they had heard how Israel’s God had delivered them from Egypt.

They were surprised to find the image of Dagon lying on its face before the Ark the first morning after they had placed it in their temple. So they stood the image of Dagon back in its place. However, the next morning, they found Dagon had fallen face down before the Ark again. Except this time, his head and hands had broken off, perhaps showing the falseness of his divinity (head) and power (hands). They realized then that they had to get the Ark out of Dagon’s temple for Israel’s God is God! As the prophet Isaiah later wrote of God, “I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images” (Isa. 42:8).

We can be like the Philistines. Instead of worshiping the Lord only, we try to add Him to our pantheon of idols. We too try to cover all our bases. But God will not allow this. If we would have Him as our Lord, He must be recognized as Lord over all. Or He is not our Lord at all.

PRAYER: Dear Father, we have come to You through Jesus Your Son, believing in His payment on the cross for our sins. We declare that He is both Savior and Lord over us, over our heads and our hands, over our plans and our work, over our possessions and our families, over all that we have and all that we are. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs” (John 6:2 NLT).

From: May 9, 2019

DO YOU FOLLOW THE MASTER OR THE MIRACLES?

The apostle John reported that huge crowds began to follow Jesus in the Galilee region because of his miracles. The crowds grew even larger when Jesus fed the 5,000, miraculously multiplying two fish and five loaves of barley to feed them all with twelve baskets leftover. Yet, the miraculous “signs” were not given that they might seek even more, but that they might seek the Master himself.

Signs are not designed to point to themselves, but to give direction and verification. No one pulls off the road and parks under a sign thinking they have arrived. No, they take the exit and follow the sign to that to which it points.

The crowd seeks a sign, a true disciple seeks the Savior. The crowd wants another miracle, a true disciple follows after the Master. What do you follow after–– the miracles or the Master?

PRAYER: Dear Father, forgive us for only seeking after you when we are in desperate need. Teach us to seek after you in order to follow, to look not only to your hand, but to your face. We are your servants. We worship you in Spirit and truth because we have accepted Jesus as Master and Savior. We thank you for your many blessings. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” (John 6:9 NLT).

From: May 9, 2018

A LITTLE LAD’S LITTLE LUNCH FEEDS A LARGE CROWD

Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was always bringing people to Jesus. Here, he brought a young boy to Jesus with his packed lunch. The boy’s lunch was barely enough for him. It was not only a small lunch, but a poor one. For barley was the bread of the poor. Yet, Jesus loves using the young, the small and the poor to accomplish much! Jesus took the five barley loaves and fed five thousand. Andrew had enough faith to bring the little lad and his little lunch to Jesus. The young boy had enough faith to give the whole of it to Jesus, not asking for even one loaf or one fish back for himself. And Jesus had more than enough power to multiply it to miraculously feed a multitude with twelve baskets leftover.

The young boy had enough for a meager lunch for himself, but giving it to Jesus, there was more than enough for everyone, himself included.

“Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone” (John 6:15 NKJV).

From: May 9, 2017

After Jesus had miraculously fed the multitude, He “perceived” that the crowd had it in their minds to make Him king. So, He went into the mountain alone, staying there until nightfall. Jesus would not allow the people to determine His identity and purpose. The Father had not sent Him to be a temporal king, but a Lamb of God, taking away the sins of the world. He was establishing an eternal kingdom.

We do not get to make of Jesus what we will. He will not allow it. We must receive Him for who He claims to be. Then, willing submit to Him, asking Him to make of us what He wills.