YOU FEED THEM

Have been faced with a situation where you were tempted to send away people you knew you had been called to serve? Well, I have. Imagine for a moment an employer faced with the problem of recession and the dilema of laying off staff.

I suppose the disciples must have had conventional reasoning on their side as stated in the scripture below.

Matthew 14:15 NASB

When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, "This place is desolate and the hour is already late; so send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves."

The fact must have been, as they might have thought it, that this "Jesus Company" couldn't shoulder the huge service burden before them.

They must have thought it best to embark on an organization-wide cost reduction strategy. "Send them away", they said but Jesus thought differently.

Matthew 14:16 NASB

But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!"

The solution always lies with us. The lord expects us "leaders" to always provide the answers. He says "you feed them"

But the question of how always comes to mind.

If we consider John's account of the event, we would learn a very important lesson.

"Never focus on the limit of your purse when faced with a legitimate task"

John 6:5 NASB

Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?"

John 6:6-7 NASB

This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do. Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little."

Another important lesson is:

"All you need is within your reach and never take your little for granted"

Do you remember the story of the widow in 2 Kings 4?

2 Kings 4:1-2 NASB

Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the L ord ; and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves." Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil."

The question asked was "what do you have in the house ?" And her answer was "Nothing......"

She didn't think much of the little she thought she had just like Andrew in John 6

John 6:9 NASB

"There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?"

He didn't think the available loaves and fish could do much in solving the problem. Which brings us to another lesson.

"Always give thanks for the little you think you have and make use of it"

John 6:10-11 NASB

Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted.

2 Kings 4:2-5 NASB

Elisha said to her, "What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?" And she said, "Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil." Then he said, "Go, borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors, even empty vessels; do not get a few. And you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out into all these vessels, and you shall set aside what is full." So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they were bringing the vessels to her and she poured.

"He distributred and She began to pour"....this speaks of use.

There's another lesson here,

"there is limitless supply for legitimate demands if only you will make use of the little available to you"

John 6:11-14 NASB

Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. When they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost."  So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."

2 Kings 4:6-7 NASB

When the vessels were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another vessel." And he said to her, "There is not one vessel more." And the oil stopped. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest."

The truth is limitless resource is available to meet legitimate demands if only we are willing to make good use of the little we have.

There is a miracle in your hands. Stop complaining of your limitation to meet the legitimate demands around you.

YOU FEED THEM. Make it happen. God trusts you.

DI