Discover His heart: He is Jehovah Jireh, the One who provides.
@ Luke 9
“Late in the afternoon the twelve disciples came Him and said, ‘Send the crowds away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in this remote place.’ But Jesus said, ‘You feed them.’” (12-13)
Can you imagine? As a cook and one who has fed small multitudes of people on occasion, the logistical nightmare of feeding 5,000 men plus women and children brings me to my knees, literally. With 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, the size of each being inconsequential at this point, and 10,000-15,000 hungry people, well, we can do the math. What was He saying? Did He realize what He was asking? Of course, He did.
I’ve learned some little tricks through the years in feeding large groups of people. Take for instance a food item requiring a serving spoon. If more people show up than expected, I provide a small serving spoon; and if fewer show up, I use the largest spoon in my kitchen drawer. For some reason, there always seems to be just enough food. Imagine that! But no matter how small I would have cut those fish sandwiches that day, there was not going to be enough food. Even though the disciples protested at His response, the miracle began when they submitted to His request.
“Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, He kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples so they could distribute it…all ate as much as they wanted.”(16-17) When we give out of our lack in obedience to His prompting, it signals God to perform the miraculous.
In today’s economy, many are facing lack, but it is in our lack and limitations when the miraculous takes place. When we give out of our abundance, it’s a gift or offering, and this is good; but when we give out of our lack, it becomes a miracle! We hold in our hands what little we have, asking Him to bless it and to use however He may choose, whether to meet our needs or the needs of others. He takes our limited resources and multiplies them and their effectiveness more than we could ever imagine. Miraculous!
This story of 5,000 unexpected dinner guests is the only miracle of Jesus recorded in all four of the gospels, obviously impacting Jews and Gentiles alike – a tax collector, a young adult, a doctor and a fisherman in the mix. It shows that God is concerned about our physical needs as well as our spiritual needs.
Perhaps the disciples were just learning about who they were following, this man called Jesus claiming to be the Son of God. Perhaps they were just discovering that He was Jehovah, Jehovah Jireh, the One who provides. Have we really discovered Who it is that we are following? “And afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers!” (17) Jehovah Jireh, He provides more than enough!
Moving Forward: Today I hold in my hands my lack, asking Him to bless it and multiply it however He chooses. I know that He will provide more than enough – He is Jehovah Jireh, my Provider.
Tomorrow @ Ephesians 1-3
Phyllis Benigas 