“Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.” John 6:10-13 ESV
Are you looking for a miracle? Are you wanting to see God do something absolutely amazing? What if I were to tell you that He is already doing the amazing? Have your eyes been captivated by the Spirit of Truth or are you focused on the wrong things? His Word is living. It continually reveals a God who is not just at work, but at work in us.
This God reveals Himself to a group of people on a hillside one day many years ago. They had followed Jesus and sat under His teaching all day. Now the day was drawing to a close and they were hungry. The disciples had been through some pretty intense days and were ready for this day to be over and for Jesus to send the crowds home. However, Jesus was led by compassion, not by feelings. He did not let the physical body rule the spirit man. He sought out the one who would be willing to give all that he had and offer it to Him. He finds just that in a young boy who brings his two fish, and five loaves. This lad does not just give Jesus some, but all. He holds nothing back.
Jesus takes this small offering, breaks it, and blesses it. Then He releases it to the multitudes. What we see here is that Jesus took what was offered as small as it may have seemed to be and He multiplied it. He did not multiply what was not given, only what was offered.
Upon completion of the meal, Jesus says, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” Even the overflow, the abundant supply is not to be squandered. It is to be a reminder of God’s multiplication, of how He took the little and did amazing wonders with it.
Today, I am grateful for His multiplication in my life. I have watched Him faithfully take the “loaves and fish” of my life and enlarge my offering, as He enlarges my life. I am grateful that nothing gets wasted or lost with God. So, much of my life I could chalk up to a waste, but God says, the present supply is the result of the previous “small offering of self.” I am thankful for the reminder that when we are looking for huge miracles, that I am one.
Comments(3)
Sue Holmes says:
January 30, 2015 at 6:28 pmOne can not offer anything to Him on our own and we can’t offer anything that isn’t already His anyway. This is making me think of who or what I am placing my faith in when I offer myself. I find myself falling back on the excuse at times that I can only offer Him as much as I can maintain. I forget who is actually doing the work and that I am only giving back what He has already created. I think I put too much faith in myself. 😮
Am I looking for a miracle? Yes. But through this growing process I am leaning much more towards wanting to be His miracle. I want to be one He is at work in … one He can work with. I want to be the broken loaf.
Today’s study leans heavily toward searching this inner man … woman. Am I offering only what I feel I am able? Am I judging His work by my feelings? 2014 ended the way 2015 started for me … in a flurry of activity. This activity left me feeling spent/exhausted to the point of waking one morning and asking myself if I would get to the place of looking forward to waking up again, of looking forward to what the day would bring. Gratitude became real to me as I forced myself to be purposefully grateful.
As I am learning to surrender what I have each day over to Him, He takes my little and makes something of it. I am learning to trust that what may look like little to me, He will use in a large way that I may never see this side of eternity. But it isn’t about me. It is about Him. And I’m Learning to trust in the Maker of the Stars.
Today I am grateful that He chooses to use my meager offering in His magnificent plans. I am grateful that He has a place for my loaves and fishes … even when they look more like croutons and sardines. I am grateful to be placed among such a wonder-filled family of believers who are eagerly offering up their own loaves and fishes and with these together He is making a banquet – spreading a table in the presence of our enemies. 🙂
Pat McRae says:
January 30, 2015 at 9:35 pmI love my miracle working God 🙂 He might not of given loaves and fishes, but He took a cold, hard heart and molded it into a loving, compassionate, giving one! Now that is a miracle!!
As I read this portion of Scpriture today it seemed like it was old news, you know the “Oh ya I remember that story.” That was what I was raised on, the stories of the Bible. But today I pondered the story to find the truth and found it was not a story at all, it was an account of a marvellous event that showed the glory of God to 5,000 men and who knows how many women and children. Wouldn’t I love to be a participant in an event like that!
I smile as I wrte this thinking about those people, hungry, tired but drawn to a Man that could do just about anything they could think of. Now there He stands telling us to sit down in nice little groups, He looks to heaven and blesses the WHAT!! 5 loaves and 2 fish?? And then He hands it to His disciples and they start handing it out. This can’t be I think to myself look at everyone eating and there is so much. He must of had some hidden, but where? We are sitting on grassy slopes there are no stores or barns. Ok just eat and enjoy maybe you can figure it out later. So I recline and eat my fill and oh I have never tasted bread so sweet and the fish done just the way I like it 🙂
Maybe I will just close my eyes for a moment and enjoy this beautiful soft breeze and the sounds of nature as everyone finishes their meal. My I am so full and there is a peace I have never experienced before. Yes just a few moments of shut eye and then I will start that long walk home. What, what is all the commotion? Now look at that 12 baskets full of bread all left over. How can this be? But then He did heal the sick and made the lame to walk. Oh this is just to much for me to understand, but I know one thing this Man is love and He calms my troubled heart.
It is such fun to imagine being there but I am happy I live when I do 🙂 Because that Man lives in me and He is my reason for getting up each morning. He is my light, my life and my liberty. But more then that He is the lover of my soul, my very best friend, my provider, my protector, my healer. WOW! He does miracles so great and they are all done in me. Yes I am thankful to be living in this great year of 2015. I am thankful because I believe God is doing a new thing and He is allowing me to witness Him in action. I am thankful that if He should tarry I will be a set free, bold new creature who is looking more and more like her Daddy everyday. Hallelujah God s good to me 🙂 and I love Him so much!
Freda says:
February 1, 2015 at 8:42 pmAmen Pat. 🙂 May He multiply your life this year and do far more than you imagined. Our God is great. I am with you. My heart must declare His goodness 🙂