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Leg 2 Day 47
Never Insignificant
Jesus Among Us
Scripture:
John 6:4-13
JOHN 6:4–13 (CEV)
It was almost time for the Jewish festival of Passover, and Jesus went up on a mountain with his disciples and sat down.
When Jesus saw the large crowd coming toward him, he asked Philip, “Where will we get enough food to feed all these people?” He said this to test Philip, since he already knew what he was going to do.
Philip answered, “Don’t you know that it would take almost a year’s wages just to buy only a little bread for each of these people?”
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the disciples. He spoke up and said, “There is a boy here who has five small loaves of barley bread and two fish. But what good is that with all these people?”
The ground was covered with grass, and Jesus told his disciples to tell everyone to sit down. About 5,000 men were in the crowd. Jesus took the bread in his hands and gave thanks to God. Then he passed the bread to the people, and he did the same with the fish, until everyone had plenty to eat.
The people ate all they wanted, and Jesus told his disciples to gather up the leftovers, so that nothing would be wasted. The disciples gathered them up and filled twelve large baskets with what was left over from the five barley loaves.
SEE ALSO: MATTHEW 14:15–21; MARK 6:35–44; LUKE 9:12–17
Life Lessons from Jesus:
Aside from the resurrection, the feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It shows that God can take what little we have to give and use it to accomplish incredible things for Him.
While the disciples stood around worrying that there was no way there could possibly be enough food to feed everyone, the boy gave everything he had, and Jesus used it. He broke it, blessed it, and distributed it. The disciples focused only on how great the need was; they fixated on the lack. But they were merely considering earthly options with physical limitations. God wants us to focus on what we do have and on Him. And He can go above and beyond our needs or expectations. Jesus could have provided exactly the amount of fish and bread that the crowd needed. Instead, He provided them with even more than that. They ended up with more leftovers than the amount of food they started with!
Whatever you have, never worry that it’s not enough. Whether it is spiritual gifts, talents, time, or resources, God can take it and amplify its impact. Don’t focus on the negatives or the lack. Trust in Him and focus on the positives and the possibilities.
The WAY:
Consider these questions as you reflect on today’s reading:
In what way was Jesus testing Philip?
What do we learn about Andrew? Why did he even mention the boy’s meal if he thought it was inadequate?
Do you ever find yourself focusing on what you don’t have rather than on what you do have? What does this passage say about what God can do with us even when we’re unsure or feeling inadequate?
Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for multiplying everything we surrender to You and using it to bless and assist others. Help me to focus on what I am able to give and on the possibilities so that I don’t miss the opportunities. Help me to trust fully in Your power. In Your name, amen.