Day 205
Matthew 14:17-18 NIV
"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fishes," they answered. "Bring them here to me," he said.
Matthew 14 tells the story of how Jesus took five loaves of bread and two fishes and miraculously fed more than 5,000 people. The men in the crowd numbered at least 5,000 alone. Based upon normal crowds, the number of women and children was probably more than twice the amount of the men present. Therefore, it would be reasonable to estimate that over 15,000 people were present. It is amazing that Jesus was not moved by the size of the crowd, in light of the amount of food that was available.
The disciples said, ''We have here only..." Jesus said,. "Bring them here to me." Jesus demonstrated to us that God is not intimidated by our limitations. He also showed us that God works with what we can offer Him. The Father could have made bread and rained it down from heaven. However, we rarely see Him do things that way. There are many more examples of His using what we have. Obviously, He wants us to learn to be faithful over what He has given us. Instead of making excuses about what we cannot do because of what we do not have, God wants us to exhaust what we do have. He also wants us to remember that we must depend on Him, and not ourselves as the source of all our supply. "He will use what we have, but He is not limited by it.
Let us think about it. Where did everything we have come from? Who made it all? Has He forgotten how to create? Has He lost control of His sovereignty, that enables Him to manipulate what is already His and transfer wealth or material things to where it needs to be? Let us not underestimate God. Whatever we do have, let us bring it to Him. Notice that Jesus did not ask for some of the food, but for all of it. When what we have is not enough, there is no point in holding onto some of it. We might as well give it all. When we have done all we can do, God will take over and make up the difference.
I will forget about what I do not have and begin to give all I do have. God will take my limited supply, whether talents, abilities or possessions, and multiply it. My giving will bless a multitude of people.