My husband, Steve, loves bread. I mean, he really loves bread! When we were recently in Costa Rica, one of his favorite things was going to the bakery and purchasing a long loaf of their fresh, warm bread. A couple of years ago, when our grandson was with us in Costa Rica, Steve bought five loaves of bread. He and Charlie ate all five loaves! Well, maybe they shared a little. Steve wanted to make sure there was enough.
This past week, I was reading and enjoying John 6 once again. You know the story—it is so rich! I just have to share it again. Jesus had been teaching on the hillside, and the crowd was mesmerized by His teaching. Thousands came to hear Him. His teaching was so different from anything they had ever heard. But Jesus felt concerned that they might get hungry. I love that, don’t you? Jesus cared about their hunger. Other teachers might have focused only on their sermons, but Jesus’s heart was with the people. So He asked Philip, “Where shall we buy bread to feed all these people?” (John 6:5).
You likely know the rest of the story. A little boy with five small loaves of bread and two fish brought his lunch to Jesus. Here’s what I know about little boys (and sometimes big boys)—it’s really hard to share your lunch! So kudos to this little guy! Jesus took the bread and fish, blessed them, and then began to give lunches away.
As I meditated on this passage again this past week, I was struck by the word plenty. John writes that there was plenty of grass for the people to sit down (John 6:10). I circled the word plenty in my Bible. Not only was there plenty of grass for the people to sit on, but there was also plenty for them to eat.
The word plenty in this story means more than enough—it implies abundance. God’s provision is always plenty.
At times, we live with a scarcity mindset. We worry and fret: What if we don’t have enough—time, money, resources, giftedness, energy, or _______________? (You fill in the blank.)
Tucked within this story are some great reminders for you and me:
We Can Rest in God’s Provision
Learning to trust Jesus is really about relaxing in His provision. You can trust Him to take your little and multiply it. What He has provided is plenty for you to live the abundant life. We often think of God’s provision in material terms, but that limits our thinking. God provides plenty of His love and grace. God provides plenty of His wisdom and creativity.
Friend, you have what you need to live abundantly. Lean in and relax in Jesus.
God Takes Our Little Gifts and Multiplies Them
What you and I offer to God, He takes and multiplies. He delights in using our little to accomplish something grand in His plan. Do you feel like you have so little to offer God? Great! That means you’re positioned to watch Him do something extraordinary. He multiplies little gifts and uses them greatly.
The key is surrender. We must place our little into His Almighty hands and then trust Him to multiply it as He chooses. Have you noticed in John 6 that no one is stressed out? Everyone is having fun partnering with Jesus. Sometimes, I think I miss the fun of having little because I’m too busy stressing out, wanting more. But the joy comes in watching God do something extraordinary with what we consider small.
God Gives Away What We Put in His Hands
I love this! He doesn’t expand our resources for us to cling to them. Throughout the Gospels, there is a pattern: God takes the gift, blesses it, breaks it, and then gives it away. Our lives are meant to be conduits of His love.
Friend, the next time you feel like you are lacking, thank God that what He provides is plenty. Then, ask Him to take what He’s given you and use it to bless others. That’s His plan!
Purchase Becky’s latest book Cultivating Deeper Connections in A Lonely World here.
Comments are closed.