Scripture Reading: John 6:15 When Jesus, therefore, perceived that they would come and take Him by force, to make Him a king, he departed again into a mountain Himself alone.

Reflections: The crowd consisted of five thousand people, excluding women and children. Jesus Christ miraculously fed them with five loaves of bread and two fishes, making them believe He could help them gain independence from Roman rule. As a result, they planned to make Him their king. However, Jesus knew that He should not allow anyone to use Him for a purpose that goes against the will of God. So, He slipped away from their plan and left for an unknown destination. Consequently, their plan failed. People might try to exploit you to achieve their personal aim by taking advantage of your skills, abilities, gifts, and so on. But, just like Jesus, you must be wise enough to discern their intentions and quickly escape.

Prayer: Dear Lord, help me to discern the intentions of people.

Confession: I do not allow myself to be used by people to do what God has not ordained.