IF JESUS LIVED IN OUR DAY, we would have pulled out our cellphones and taken pictures of Him—some would have wanted a selfie too.
Many of us would have put his videos on social media and tweeted his messages—because they were extraordinary. He did the impossible.
The Narrative
MANY STORIES in the bible touch me, and this is one of them.
On one occasion, crowds of people kept arriving at the hillside to hear Jesus.
When evening came, his disciples being practical reminded him that it was getting late, and the people will be hungry.
Send them away to get something to eat from the neighbouring village before it gets dark.
“They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat,” Jesus replied. (Matthew 14:13-21)
The Crossroad
IMAGINE WHAT must have been going through their minds.
They had forgotten that on their previous mission, they had been doing the impossible. And Jesus did not take back the power he gave them.
He wanted them to use that authority to meet their needs. (Matthew 10)
The successes of yesterday and yesteryears are fantastic, but God desires that you use that same power today.
He wants you to rely on Him as you did in the past—there lies the secret to doing the impossible.
But instead of scolding them, Jesus asked if anyone had food. And when they brought it to him, he looked up to heaven and gave thanks.
And they served and served, and everyone ate, and there were leftovers—five thousand men in total plus women and children.
The Expectation
GOD IS BIG ENOUGH to shatter your finite expectations—he does not strive to exceed them; he always surpasses them. (Ephesians 3:20)
God amplifies your meagre gifts and talents. Nothing is too small to give to Him. He has a surprise for you.
He uses the weak things to display his glory. (1 Corinthians 1:27)
God does not strive to exceed your expectations
The Need
IF WHAT YOU have in your hand is too small to do what you want, then give it to him.
He told them to leave what seemed impossible to him but feed the crowd.
Jesus bypassed their efforts but involved them. God will engage us in His work, but only he can equip us.
He could have blessed the food in everyone’s hand but chose to bless the boy’s food and handed it to them to distribute.
We are God’s extended arms here on earth—a part of his plan to reach the world.
The disciples were not expected to feed the crowd in their power. They weren’t supposed to start at what the resources were but try to meet the need.
They had to trust Jesus to supply what to feed the crowd; we must trust Him to provide what we need to reach the unsaved.
All good things come from him. (James 1:17)
We serve a Big God
TO THE DISCIPLES, it was a significant challenge. But God is bigger than all our difficulties.
God did a similar thing when Elisha had only twenty loaves to feed a hundred men. They ate and had leftovers. (2 Kings 4:42-44)
This incident is a reminder that no challenge is a march for our God.
BRINGING IT TOGETHER
THE DISCIPLES realized that limited resources are never the end. They handed what they had over to Him.
Are you tied up? Does it seem as if there’s no way out?
Put whatever you have in His hands! And you’ll be amazed at what He will do with it.