“Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When He looked out over the crowds, His heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. ‘What a huge harvest!’ He said to His disciples. ‘How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!’”
Matthew 9:35 (MSG)
What do you see when you look at the crowds? Do you see a man standing on the corner of a congested street in the city with a sign that reads, “PLEASE HELP, GOD BLESS YOU,” or do you have eyes to look beyond the moment? Oh, Father, I pray that you would give me 20/20 vision to look at the crowds with compassion as Jesus did, so in that moment I can see how dispirited, aimless, and confused they are. Father, break off the calluses of my heart, the judgments I make. Give me a soul that breaks as our Lord Jesus Christ’s heart broke for those in need. Renew my mind to think as David thought, when in Psalm 72:12-14 (NLT) He said, “He will rescue the poor when they cry to Him; He will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them. He feels pity for the weak and the needy, and He will rescue them. He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to Him.”