“Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?’ Jesus said, ‘Have the people sit down.’ There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.”
– John 6:8-13
Today, I want to encourage you with this thought: Jesus can create anything out of anything when you need it! In the story of the feeding of the five thousand, there was one lad, exactly five loaves of bread and two fishes. The problem was that everyone in the crowd was hungry. Yet, because a young boy willingly gave up the modest lunch he had packed for himself, each person ate and was satisfied. Did you catch that part? They didn’t enjoy a meager helping of bread that was rationed for fear of not having enough, they ate as much as they wanted and were full; it was like an all-you-can-eat buffet! Even more astonishing, there were twelve baskets of food left over, which the disciples gathered at the prompting of Jesus, who instructed them not to waste any of the bread. Interestingly, throughout the Bible, twelve is associated with faith and is viewed as a perfect number that symbolizes God’s power and authority. You see, the Word is greater than bread; in fact, it multiplies it! Friend, when Jesus said that “man cannot live on bread alone,” He was asserting that bread comes from the Word; in other words, human beings cannot be sustained by what was created, only by their Creator. As Christians, we believe that Jesus spoke the universe into being and that everything under the sun was made with words, which birthed energy and life. This is why you don’t ever have to worry about not having enough! Jesus, the Living Word, has spoken His abundance over your life and He will take even your smallest gift and multiply it until it overflows. God is powerful and grand; yet He is interested in your needs. Why? Because He loves you more than you can even comprehend — that’s a truth on which you can build your life! |
Prayer
Jesus, I stand in awe that you can make anything out of anything and I thank you for your miraculous, multiplying power that is at work in my life.
Reflection
When have you seen the Word (Jesus) multiply something small to the point of overflowing? What do you need Him to do in your life today?
