Jesus gave the disciples an impossible task. It was impossible for the disciples to feed five thousand men who also had with them women and children. Yet Jesus told the disciples to feed them. We’ve heard the story of Jesus feeding the multitudes many times. He broke the bread and fed the people and everyone ate and was satisfied. How many times have we also heard about someone being called of the Lord to an impossible task? We have marveled at their faith. We have enjoyed movies about their journeys. But have we said yes to the Lord when He has called us to an impossible task?
Have you ever seen a need you wished God would meet? A problem you wished He would solve? Reverend Swanson traveled to South Korea in the 1950s and was appalled to see shivering war torn orphans dying in the streets. He decided to do something about it. He started a ministry of sponsorship to help feed and care for the orphans while teaching them about Jesus. He too, was moved by Jesus’ feeding of the multitudes and not turning the people away in Matthew 15 (https://www.compassion.com/history.htm). Today, his ministry, Compassion International, helps poor and orphaned children all over the world. He said yes to Jesus about an impossible task. God did the rest. Did he have what he needed at the start of that ministry to care for so many kids all over the world? Of course not. But he said yes to God with what he had and God used his two fish and five loaves and fed the world with it.
The little boy’s lunch that was shared with the multitudes of people by Jesus contained five loaves of bread and two fish. After feeding the five thousand people, twelve basketfuls of leftover food was collected. Where did all that food come from? Jesus. He provided above and beyond so that everyone ate and was satisfied (Matthew 14:20).
I don’t know about you, but I often feel like what the Lord is calling me to is impossible. I am, like Moses, full of excuses! I’m too old. I tried that before and it didn’t work. Do you even know me, Lord? Me? See Exodus 3 for more of Moses’ excuses. But it’s never about us, is it? Look at what Jesus said to the disciples after He asked the disciples to give them something to eat. The disciples responded by basically telling Jesus, “Dude, not sure if you passed that math class, but five loaves and two fish does not equal enough food for five thousand people!” Or in layman’s terms, “Jesus! You crazy! We only got five loaves and two fish. That ain’t gonna feed nobody nowhere! And You thinking this little boy gonna starve. What would his mother say if we stole his food?”
Jesus said, “Bring them here to me,” in Matthew 14:18 referring to the five loaves and two fish, that were given, not stolen, from the boy. In other words, “Give me what you do have. You say you have something and it’s not enough? I’ll make it enough. Bring it here. Offer it up. Let me show you how this works.” Gotta love Jesus’ patience in this matter. Gotta love His lack of rebukes back at the disciples. Then the disciples did as Jesus asked. They gave Jesus the loaves and fish. What if they didn’t?! What if they said, “no way!” They at least had enough faith or reverence to give Jesus the food. Maybe they thought Jesus didn’t believe them and they wanted to prove it to him by showing Him the food. Either way, they obeyed and witnessed a miracle.
It’s an old saying in Christian circles to just “give God what you have and watch Him do the rest.” But in our pinterest perfect facebook flare social media got it goin on world, we often feel like what we have isn’t good enough. Our birthday parties aren’t good enough. Our homes aren’t pretty enough, big enough, Better Homes & Gardens enough. Our lives aren’t perfect. We don’t have room in our lives to add something else. We don’t have time to start something new, to do something about that problem we see. We don’t have time to talk to that homeless person we see every day. And why would they want one of my kids’ uncrustables left over in the car if my kids didn’t even want it?
But if we forget the world’s math for a minute, we might be able to hear Jesus’ voice saying, “Bring them here to me” (Mattew 14:18). What if we could so focus our lives and hearts and minds on Jesus that we forgot for just a minute, the impossibilities of the world’s ways? What if in our moments of Bible study and prayer, we believed His Word and His promises were not just for the supernatural, but for the normal, the downcast, the faithless like us? If so, in that moment, I think we would believe. And once we believed, we would be able to receive what He had for us, the things He has been waiting to give us all along, the miracles we’ve been longing to see, the multiplication happen before our very eyes.
What has God been nudging you about that you’ve been reluctant to believe is possible? In what ways have you been responding by letting God know that what you have isn’t enough? What do you need to take to Jesus today in order to let Him multiply it? What steps of faith can you take to show Him that you believe in His multiplication capabilities? Give what you have to Him, even if it’s very small. Take that first step. Host that first meeting. Make the phone call. Post the invite. Give Him what you have and watch Him do the rest. Trust Him for the rest. Trust Him to multiply your efforts. Amen!
