When Life Falls: Don't Take It Personal

Devotional

Day 1: God multiplies small offerings into abundant provision

When life falls and what you have looks too small, remember the boy with five loaves and two fish — his willingness to give what little he had is what allowed Jesus to do a miracle; it wasn’t the size of the gift but the faith to place it in God’s hands that fed five thousand and left baskets of plenty, so don’t underestimate the small thing you can offer today, give it up and watch God multiply it for His purposes. [03:49]

Mark 6:32-44 (ESV)
32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, "This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat." 36 But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?" 37 And he said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." And when they had found out, they said, "Five, and two fish." 38 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 39 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 40 And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 41 And they all ate and were satisfied. 42 And they picked up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 43 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men. 44

Reflection: What is one small thing (time, money, a skill, or a kindness) you can give to Jesus today? Write it down and actually give it away in prayer, asking God to multiply it for others this week.

Day 2: Grief doesn't halt God's calling and work

Even while Jesus grieved the violent loss of John the Baptist, He did not let sorrow stop the mission God had given Him; loss will come, people will fail, and pain will hit your life, but the world keeps moving and God still has work for you to do—heal as you go, keep walking in purpose, and don’t let hurt cancel your calling. [12:40]

Mark 6:26-27 (ESV)
26 But because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to refuse her. And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. 27 The man went and beheaded John in the prison.

Reflection: Name one loss or grief that’s tempted you to stop serving or stepping out; what one practical next step (serve an hour, make a phone call, show up to ministry) will you take this week to keep moving in your calling despite the pain?

Day 3: Wait on the Lord; renew your strength

The instruction to "sit" and be patient matters—God told the crowd to sit, to wait while the miracle was prepared, and the Bible reminds us that those who wait on the Lord renew their strength; stop rushing, stop trying to get ahead out of impatience or jealousy, learn to be still and trust God’s timing so your strength is preserved for when He says move. [22:25]

Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)
But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Reflection: Identify one situation where you feel impatient right now; for the next 48 hours deliberately pause any action on it and spend 15 minutes each day in prayer and praise, asking God for patience and trusting His timing.

Day 4: God works trials for good in purpose

When life keeps falling and trials pile up, remember that Scripture assures believers that God works all things together for good for those called according to His purpose; keep praying, keep trusting, and take small obedient steps of faith even in the mess, because God can redeem the story and use pain to position you for His plan. [28:23]

Romans 8:28 (ESV)
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Reflection: Write down one specific trial you are facing; today speak Romans 8:28 over it, then pick one practical act of trust (make a call, ask for help, adjust a budget) you will do before the end of the week as a sign you believe God is working it for good.

Day 5: Don't take it personal; sustain compassion and prayer

When leaves fall into your yard from other people's trees, don’t get hardened—don’t take everything personal; keep compassion in your heart, keep praying, and allow healing to happen as you walk, because life will not pause for you to heal and a softened, thankful heart opens the way for God to move through you, not away from you. [16:04]

Colossians 3:12 (ESV)
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

Reflection: Who in your life has dropped 'leaves' into your yard—someone whose actions hurt you? Today, commit to one compassionate act toward them (a short text, a prayer for them, or bringing a simple meal) or spend five minutes asking God to soften your heart and give you the grace to respond without taking it personal.

Sermon Summary

Life has a way of dropping fresh messes on a yard you just raked. That’s the picture I carried from watching our yard guy clear every leaf—only to have another blanket fall the next day. Sometimes those leaves aren’t even from your own tree. That’s how trials come: new piles after you’ve just cleaned up, and sometimes from someone else’s mess. In Mark 6, Jesus is met by a crowd as He tries to get to a quiet place. He’s teaching, healing, serving—and behind the scenes He’s grieving. John the Baptist, His forerunner and friend, has just been executed. Still, when He sees the people, He has compassion. He doesn’t harden His heart. He doesn’t take it personal. He keeps walking in purpose while He heals as He goes.

That’s one of the hardest lessons: life won’t pause to let us catch our breath. So I called us to three responses. First, don’t take it personal. Pain can turn us cold, suspicious, and small. Jesus kept His heart soft. Second, don’t lose patience. He told the crowd to sit down in groups. Thousands of hungry people watched others be served first. Waiting is holy work; it purifies envy and builds trust that our turn is coming. Third, don’t stop praying. When Jesus took the five small loaves and two small fish, He didn’t wait until He had “enough” to give thanks. He blessed what He had and placed it in the Father’s hands. Little in our hands becomes more than enough in His.

So when life falls—again—pick it up. Don’t ignore what you need to face. Offer what you have, even if it feels like crackers and sardines. Be patient while others are being served. Give thanks before there’s plenty. And pray like your trust depends on it—because it does. The same Jesus who fed five thousand while grieving is with you in your grief, your lack, and your waiting. Keep your heart soft. Keep your seat. Keep your hands open. Keep praying.

Key Takeaways

1. Don’t take it personal Pain tempts us to turn inward and make every hit feel like a targeted attack. Jesus experienced real loss, yet He refused to close His heart toward needy people. Healing often happens while we keep walking in what we’re called to do. A tender heart in a hard season is not weakness; it’s Christlikeness. [12:40]
2. Practice patient, obedient waiting Jesus told thousands to sit—then fed them in order. Waiting while others are served first exposes jealousy and invites trust. Obedience in the wait is fertilizer for endurance. If you will sit when He says sit, you will stand strong when He says go. [19:07]
3. Offer your little to God The boy’s small lunch looked laughable next to the need, yet in Jesus’ hands it became overflow. The size of your resource isn’t the limit of God’s response; surrender is. Give what you have—time, skill, dollars, encouragement—and watch God multiply it beyond your reach. Your small can bless the many. [25:43]
4. Give thanks before there’s enough Jesus blessed the not-enough and then it became more-than-enough. Gratitude is not a receipt after abundance; it’s a seed before abundance. Thankfulness trains the soul to see God’s provision in stages, not just in finishes. Bless the little, and you’ll recognize the miracle as it unfolds. [25:43]
5. Don’t stop praying under pressure When life falls, pressure tries to squeeze prayer out of you. Prayer is how trust breathes; when prayer stops, trust shrivels. Keep talking to God about what hurts and what lacks, and keep inviting Him into the part you can’t carry. Persevering prayer keeps your hands open for the multiplication. [28:23]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[03:49] - Scripture reading: Feeding the 5,000
[06:26] - When leaves keep falling
[09:21] - You can’t ignore the mess
[12:40] - Grief: John the Baptist’s death
[16:04] - Compassion versus a hardened heart
[19:07] - Sit down: learning to wait
[22:25] - Be patient while others get blessed
[25:43] - A child’s gift and gratitude
[28:23] - Don’t stop praying under pressure
[31:00] - Stop forcing it; trust God’s timing
[34:22] - Invitation and prayer of salvation

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Mark 6:32–44 — 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 And he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves. And giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd, 42 he divided the two fish among them all. 43 And they all ate and were satisfied. 44 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish.

Observation Questions

What does Mark 6:34–35 say about Jesus’ immediate reaction to the crowd even though he and the disciples had tried to withdraw? [03:49]
What do the disciples’ responses in Mark 6:36–38 reveal about how they assessed the situation and their resources? [19:07]
What three actions of Jesus before the multiplication are recorded in Mark 6:41–42? How might each action matter (looked up to heaven, gave thanks/blessed, broke the loaves)? [25:43]
What does the detail about twelve baskets of leftovers (Mark 6:43–44) suggest about the scope and nature of this miracle? [03:49]

Interpretation Questions

How should Jesus’ refusal to harden his heart after John the Baptist’s death shape a follower’s priorities when personal grief and public need collide? [12:40]
What might Jesus’ command to “sit down in groups” teach the church about the relationship between orderly waiting and spiritual formation (for example, testing envy, building trust)? [22:25]
How does the disciples’ initial doubt about the five loaves and two fish inform the church’s theology of gifts — especially small or seemingly inadequate gifts — and leadership’s role in stewarding them? [19:07]
In what way does Jesus’ act of giving thanks before the miracle challenge common assumptions about when gratitude is appropriate or powerful? [25:43]

Application Questions

Think of a recent trial or loss. Did you react by taking it personally or by closing off toward others? What is one practical step you will take this week to “keep your heart soft” toward someone in need? [16:04]
Who in your life makes you feel impatient or jealous when they’re blessed first (a coworker, neighbor, sibling)? This week how will you intentionally celebrate with them — name one concrete action (text, pray for them, congratulate publicly)? [22:25]
Identify one “small” thing you have right now (time, $5, a meal, a skill, an encouraging message). How will you offer it to God this week, and what short prayer will you say over it before you give it? Be specific. [25:43]
What is one specific habit you will adopt to stop losing patience (for example: 3 deep breaths + a one-sentence prayer before reacting; wait 24 hours before making a decision)? Commit to doing it the next time you feel rushed. [19:07]
When pressure squeezes the prayer out of you, what short, repeatable prayer phrase can you use to keep talking to God (for example: “Help me trust,” “You are enough”)? Use that phrase at least once a day for the next week and report back to your group. [28:23]
Is there a person or situation where you have hardened your heart because of pain? Name that person/situation and choose one small, concrete act this week to show compassion instead of hardness (a call, an encouraging note, bringing a meal). [16:04]
Practice “thanksgiving before there’s enough.” Pick one unmet need in your life and write one sentence of thanks you will say every morning for the next seven days (e.g., “Thank you, God, for making a way for my job search”). How will you remind yourself to actually say it each day? [25:43]

Sermon Clips

What he realized and what that teaches us is it doesn't matter the size of what you have in your hand, it is your willingness to give it to God and say, God, it might be small, but if I give it to you, you can do great things with it. It don't matter the size of your bank account, it don't matter the size of your house, if you give it to God, he can do great things with that small amount if you place your full trust in him. [00:18:25] (26 seconds) #GiveWhatYouHave

You got to stop being so fast to get where it is that you want. If you just be patient, eventually God will get to you and give it what you need. You do not have to be jealous of not now a person in here. Why? Because if our God is who he says he is, eventually you gonna get your breakthrough. You just cheer with the person that got theirs because eventually God will give you yours. [00:21:13] (27 seconds) #BePatientYourBreakthrough

Maybe the reason you don't have strength is because you won't be still, but maybe the reason you don't have endurance to finish the race is because you won't just be still and wait for God to tell you to move. You're wasting energy. I know it's frustrating to see other folks get they car, get they house, get they man, get they check, get all this, but listen, if you don't remember nothing else I said, be patient because your time is coming. [00:24:00] (35 seconds) #BeStillAndWait

``When you look at the scriptures, that young child that had two fish, five loaves and bread, when his mother prepared for it for him, she had no idea it would take off like it did. The mother gave child two fish and five loaves, and then the child had enough sense to sit there and give to Jesus. How many of you all are teaching your kids the power of giving? [00:25:35] (27 seconds) #TeachGenerosity

Anytime you go to the ATM and pull out twenty dollars because that's all you got, give thanks. When you buy groceries with your EBT card, give thanks. When you go to the McDonald's and get all the food that you want, give thanks. You got to learn to give thanks for the small because God sits there and says if you thank for the small, then you'll thank when you get more. [00:27:11] (25 seconds) #ThankSmallBlessings

Don't wait until you get more to start giving thanks. Thank God where you are now. He gave thanks for two fish and five loaves of bread and watched what God has done for his life. And if you are lost or lost a loved one, don't stop praying. If you don't have enough supplies in your pantry, don't stop praying. If you're facing trials and tribulations in your lives, dear brothers and sisters, don't stop praying because all he did in this moment was give thanks even though he didn't have enough. [00:27:37] (44 seconds) #GratitudeNow

The Bible also reminds us that all things work together for the good of those who are called according to his purpose. And no matter what trials you are facing, no matter what tribulation you have going on, dear brothers and sisters, number one, don't take it personal. You're not the only one. You ain't the only one that's dealing with health challenges. You ain't the only one dealing with man issues or woman issues. You ain't the only one that's dealing with not having enough money. Don't take it personal. [00:29:33] (39 seconds) #PurposeInTrials

When leaves fall, dear brothers and sisters, because guess what, they're gonna fall. Problems gonna come, dear brothers and sisters, trials gonna come, but don't take it personal. Don't walk with a hardened heart. Don't allow life to make you have a hardened heart, to be mad, snappy, edgy. When people see you, they got to walk on eggshells. No, that's not the type of life a person that you should be. Don't take it personal when things ain't going the way that you think they should go. [00:30:44] (38 seconds) #KeepYourHeartSoft

Don't lose patience. God, you ain't moving fast enough, because when you start getting involved, you're gonna mess things up. When you start getting involved, you're gonna mess things up. Just be patient. Your season, your time, your moment will come. I am a witness that it will come. We don't know when it's gonna come, but it's gonna come. [00:31:25] (24 seconds) #TrustTheTiming

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