GIVE ALL THAT YOU HAVE

10 15 12 Give All that You Have

John 6:7 (NIV) Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" 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?"

Note: The disciples had seen Jesus perform a miracle of turning water into wine; they witnessed his miraculous healing of a royal official’s son; they had witnessed the miraculous healing a man who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years and now they are on the side of a mountain where a great number of people (about 5,000) have come to see this miracle worker. Jesus remarks to his disciples when he sees them coming, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" The Bible tells us he did this to test them. Had the disciples recognized his miraculous power and where this power came from? Were they beginning to see that he had the kind of power no one who had ever lived on the earth had possessed? 

Philip answered Jesus ‘question the way most of us would probably have answered. Like him we would have looked at the crowd, estimated its size and come to the same conclusion; it can’t be done. Like him we would have seen the problem before us, rather than the “Problem Solver” who was with us.

But thank God for the Andrews among us; those who may not know exactly how Jesus is going to accomplish the impossible but by faith knows he can. Andrew tells Jesus what he has discovered as he went through the crowd. He had found a young boy with five loaves of bread and two small fish and wonders aloud, “…how far will they go among so many?"

At this point in the narrative Jesus takes control. We remember the rest of the story. He fed the 5, 000 and had twelve baskets of food left over; a great miracle any standard! But that is not what I want to emphasize in this devotional. My emphasis has to do with a young boy having little and yet when called upon, was willing to give what little he had to Jesus. Jesus then took what was entrusted to him and worked a mighty miracle.

This is the application for you to think about. How much faith do you have, a little or a lot?  How much money do you have, a little or a lot? How much talent do you have, a little or a lot? How much time do you give to Jesus each day, a little or a lot? How much will-power do you have, a little or a lot? You get the point? Whatever you have that you are willing to give to Jesus, it will always prove to be enough. We serve a miracle-working God. We are empowered by a miracle-working Holy Spirit. A little faith can unlock the storehouse of God’s abundant supply. He will use everything you entrust to him.

What problems are you facing? Have you already come to the conclusion it’s beyond your power to control? Have you been praying; losing sleep; stressed out? Have you finally realized that what you have been doing isn’t working? Do think you have too “little faith.” Are you running on empty; at your wits end, nothing seems to work?

NEWS FLASH FROM HEAVEN! Why not give God a try? Why not trust everything to Him? Is there anything too hard for God? NO! He may not deal with your situation the way you envisioned, but I promise you, he will deal with it the “right” way. He will bring peace to your spirit.  Faith and obedience open the windows of heaven. Redirect your vision. Learn the lesson the disciples learned from a young boy with a little food. He gave all he had to Jesus and everyone there witnessed a miracle. Just as Jesus took the small amount the boy gave, he is willing to take your little and multiply it. You can rest assured that young boy was never the same again and you won’t be either.

Did the Lord speak to you today?  Why not write it down and claim it for His Glory.

Prayer:  What do you need to pray to the Lord today? Listen to your heart. He loves you!