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“There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?” – John 6:9
My husband and I love to have people over for a meal, but we have one small problem. Once we start inviting, we include more than just a “couple of friends.” We invite a crowd!
If we only have a couple of friends over, I do not get nervous, but as the guest list grows, anxiety begins to settle in. I start to worry that my one pound of hamburger is not enough, so I go to the store and “think big.” Side dishes get added to the menu up until the moment people arrive. In the end, everyone usually has a good time, but then we have a new problem—tons of leftovers! Then we need to invite more friends over to eat before the food goes bad.
When we are walking with God, He always provides abundantly. We never have to worry that His supplies will run out before we get our portion. For example, consider the three basic Christian experiences. His salvation is enough to forgive even the worst sinner, His sanctification eradicates the entire sin nature, and through His Holy Spirit dwelling in us we can have the power to do His will in miraculous ways. These experiences are available to all mankind, and they are just the beginning of what God has to offer us.
In His goodness, God is mindful to provide not only for our spiritual needs, but also for our physical needs. Consider the setting of our focus verse. Think of how hot, tired, and hungry the people must have been that day. They had traveled on dusty roads to hear and see the miracles of Jesus, but when mealtime arrived, there was little food available. Perhaps the crowd could have waited to eat until they returned home, but Jesus had compassion on them. With just five barley loaves and two fishes offered by a young lad, Jesus fed everyone there—over five thousand people—and even had leftovers.
The key to receiving God’s abundance is that we must first give Him what we have. Even though we may think it pointless to give what seems such a small offering, we can learn from the lad with the loaves and fishes. If we give the Lord whatever we have, it will be exciting to see what He can do in our lives and in the lives of those around us!
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