(Mat 14:15-21 NIV) As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” {16} Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” {17} “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. {18} “Bring them here to me,” he said. {19} And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. {20} They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. {21} The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
This passage of story, concerning Christ’s feeding five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes, is recorded by all the four Evangelists, which very few, if any, of Christ’s miracles are. This means that there is something in it worthy of special remark.
God is interested in all aspects of our life. Jesus spent a lot of time teaching spiritual truths to the crowd that followed Him but He was also interested in meeting their physical needs for food. As we work to bring wholeness to people’s lives, we must never ignore the fact that all of us have both physical and spiritual needs. It is impossible to minister effectively to one type of need without considering the other.
Jesus at first wanted His disciples to do the miracle. “You give them something to eat.” He knew there was not enough food present and He wanted them to supply the food. As representatives of Jesus, we have the power to do miracles with God’s power. The book of Acts is full of examples of the apostles doing miracles. Is there somebody in need right now? Why not ask God to grant that person a miracle?
Jesus used the five loaves and two fishes to carry out His miracle. Nothing is too insignificant for God to work with. He could create something out of nothing; surely He could create a great deal out of the little we present to Him. Do not despise whatever little you have or think of how insignificant you are. We often feel that our contribution to Jesus is meagre, but He can use and multiply whatever we give him, whether it is talent, time, or treasure. It is when we give them to Jesus that our resources are multiplied. All it takes is our willingness to be part of that miracle. That little boy was willing to give whatever he had to be part of the miracle.
Nothing is too small for God to work with. Jesus took the little bit of food and gave thanks to His Father for them. That “insignificant” food was nonetheless important to Him.
We read that there was an increase in the food. We know not how. It just happened and we see only the results. We may not know how God is going to work in our situation but we can be sure of one thing. That the results will be pleasing to us.
Everybody ate the food and was satisfied. When God does a miracle in our life, He does not leave us feeling partially satisfied. The God who has unlimited resources can meet all our needs according to his infinite riches. Believe that God will deliver you totally from the situation you are in.