“One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, ‘There was a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?’” John 6:8-9 [AMP]
Jesus, before John 6, had been in Jerusalem. He healed a lame man on the Sabbath, and the Jewish leaders harassed Him about it. Jesus taught them about His authority to heal and do it on a Sabbath. He told them He is the Son of God.
After the Sabbath, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee. “A huge crowd of people” followed looking for Him (John 6:5). John said in John 6 that the crowds followed Jesus because they saw His miraculous signs. The people observed the big miracles Jesus did, and their curiosity continued about Him and His miracles.
Notice, the crowds expected big miracles like healing people or raising people from the dead. Many of the ones who followed Jesus turned away from following Him when the Chief Priests’ solders arrested Him before His crucifixion (John 6:66). These people reacted as we often do. We sometimes turn our backs on Jesus when things do not work out the way we want.
How are we often like these early followers of Jesus? They followed Jesus and listened to God’s plan as long as they saw the big things He would do. Jesus amazed these people as they watched Him do the unexplainable. As we read John 6:8-9, we realize Andrew did not discard something small as being unworthy for use by Jesus. Philip realized the enormous task and saw nothing big by which to feed 5000 hungry men. Andrew understood God can use small and large. He recognized God gives small and large blessings and could use them for His purposes, though he did not understand how.
Consider this in your life. Do you not recognize God even gave you the small things in your life? Do you consider He gave the small things just for you and not for use for something bigger than you? Philip did not recognize God gave the five loaves and two small fish to feed the 5000+ men. Andrew saw, considered, and wondered if Jesus could use them to feed the people. He led the young boy to Jesus and announced he found food but wondered “what good it would be with the huge crowd?” Andrew offered the young boy’s lunch as an answer in how they might feed the people. When he did that, the young boy inwardly conceded his right to keep the food for himself. Jesus showed God’s care for the people and His power over each aspect of life including sustenance, multiplication, sufficiency, and longevity.
Today, ask God, “What have I not returned to You for Your purposes?” All God gives you is a blessing from Him. Sometimes the blessing is for you to keep and use for yourself. At other times, God’s blessing for you comes as you use the gifts as God guides to help, teach, guide, and/or forgive someone else. Not all gifts are tangible. Nor are they always expensive. Yet, each gift comes from God. Our perception often hides the intangible and inexpensive from our definition as gifts.
God gave one particular gift for each person. Its cost was great. That gift is salvation from sins and death. Christians do not die for the salvation of other people. Jesus did that with His perfect sacrifice. We should willingly die to self and our desires so other people will hear about Jesus, trust in Him, and receive salvation through Him by faith.
What do you now realize God gave you that you need to give back for His purposes?
God, I am a sinner. I’ve
sinned against You and people by storing things up for myself because I considered
I earned them or because I was totally selfish about what You gave me. Lord,
please forgive me for not recognizing You gave me all I have, even salvation.
Lord, take this heart of mine and mold it to desire what You desire. Make me desire
You more than anything or anyone. Lord, nudge me from my plans to see the
people You put around me whom You love. Show me how You want to use me to help
them. Help me always to say, “Yes!” to You. Today, Lord, I give all I am and
have, no matter how small I consider it, back to You. Thank you for never
giving up on me and being patient with me. Amen.
