Mark 8:5 And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.”
There is a story in the Bible that many of us have heard before. I have heard it taught numerous times and have read the verses dozens of times. But today, as I read through these verses in Mark, the Living Word spoke fresh to me in a new way.
Jesus has compassion on so many as he preached this new message of salvation to the thousands of people who were following him from place to place. He cared enough to heal the sick, bring sight to the blind, and in this story, he provides food for them to eat.
As Lori and I have been praying over our future and the missions journey God has placed us on, I am often gripped with a question I take to the Lord often in prayer, “How are we going to have our needs met as we head for the mission field?”
Today, Jesus is asking me, “How many fish do you have?” As I read this question, my answer is, “Not enough, Lord.”
I will never have enough… and that is the lesson Jesus is speaking in this message to me today. In the feeding of the four thousand, God showed how He can take 7 fish and multiply them into enough for all and still have some for leftovers as well.
God wants me to know that the call to follow Christ, whether it is in our own home country, or somewhere around the world, takes far more than I can bring to the table. However, he wants all I have. My heart, my devotion, my money, my time… and the little bit I have to offer he will take and multiply to care for my needs and any need that arises for the work of the Kingdom.
What are you lacking today? Do you have something in your life that seems insurmountable without the help of Christ? I encourage you today to give him all you have and watch him take your 7 loaves, and your small measure of faith, and turn it into a miracle.
Lord, help me to trust you more as I realize whether I have plenty or scarcity, you are the one who provides for my needs in your timing and perfect way. Thank you for the reminder today that when I am willing to give whatever I have up to you, you can make it into a feast.