Mark 8:1-9
1 During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said,
2 "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.
3 If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance."
4 His disciples answered, "But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?"
5 "How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied.
6 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so.
7 They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them.
8 The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
9 About four thousand men were present. And having sent them away,

Jesus did this miracle out of compassion towards the people who were with him for the last 3 days. What he had done near Bethsaida Julius, He is now doing here in the Decapolis. What he had formerly done among the Jews, he is now doing among the Gentiles.

He not only cared their spiritual life but their physical life also. In the wilderness, when he was tested by Satan for turning stone into bread, he quoted as "man does not live by bread only, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of the Lord". But Jesus did not serve the same scripture to the hungry crowd; through they are hungry for his word - what else would keep them at that location for three days of preaching? Jesus took the suffering for himself and gave the privileges to others - very unlikely with the so called spiritual leaders today.

Have you come to the place in your spiritual life where you are hungry for God? Where you desire his company and his fellowship more than the basic necessities of life?

Bible does not talk about whether these people complained to Jesus for long sermon or becoming impatient. We have seen people complain when a sermon went three minutes past the assigned time. This sermon went on for three days. What is more, the crowd had not come prepared for a three day sermon. They had not brought with them three days worth of provisions.

When the Lord begins to move to meet a need, He often does it by moving his people. He could have merely caused it to rain bread and fish - or even literal cats and dogs. But he used the disciples. His method was MEN. It still is.

Though Jesus did the same kind of miracle among the Jews several months back, his disciples become clueless in a similar situation here. In our life also we have the record of all the great works of God. We have the witness of the Scriptures that God is faithful to meet the needs of his people. We have the test of time to see that this is not just a passing fancy. And yet, how often do we fail to come to Him in our need? How often do we hit the panic button and run and yell and scream and forget to turn to the One who is able to meet all of our needs? When everything else has failed, we turn to the Lord. What we ought to be doing is turning to him FIRST.