Matthew 14:15-17 “Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a desolate place, and the day is now over, send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’ But Jesus said, ‘they need not go away, you give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘We have only five loaves here and two fish.’”

Oftentimes in the course of our personal ministries, we look at our material possessions, finances, and talents, and having taken stock, find ourselves woefully inadequate to the task. We look at what the Lord expects and then we see ourselves and it just doesn’t seem to make any sense that he would ask us to do the things he does. Jesus told his disciples to get the crowd something to eat. I’m sure around that time the treasurer said “We don’t have enough money”, while another surely must have said ‘How are 12 of us to feed over 5000?’ while the disciple responsible for their supplies steps up and says “We have 5 loaves and 2 fish.” Jesus was not attempting to burden his followers with an impossible task. He was not asking them to perform any miracles here. When faced with a directions from God that seem beyond you, your Lord simply wants you to bring him what you have, and trust him to do those things you cannot do. When you bring God your finances, your talents, and those things you possess, he multiplies them to meet the need. Jesus knew they couldn’t’ feed the crowd…he wanted them to come to him.

Pray: “Lord God, I am humbled that you have called me and trust me to do your work here on the earth. I often feel as though I am not up to the challenge. Remind me, Lord, in those times, that you are not asking me to do it all. Were I to do it all, the glory would be mine. You only ask that I might come and allow you to work through me, magnifying what you have given me so that your will comes to pass and you receive the glory. Use me today, Lord, in Jesus’ name – Amen.”