God’s perspective: What do you have?
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
John 6:11
And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.
Andrew, carrying some human doubt, reported his find. Jesus responded with a clear command, “Make the people sit down.” Andrew must be feeling excited at this point, and there must be some anticipation in the air.
The people must be anticipating something special, either another dramatic miracle at the hand of the miracle worker they had come to see or at least something to eat, after all, they were asked to be seated. There is no indication in this story that the people were aware that Jesus and His disciples did not have enough money to feed them. Nor is there any indication that they were aware that the miracle worker they had come to see was actually going to perform a miracle.
As for the disciples, they must have been excited with anticipation because, as John said earlier, they were at the wedding in Cana (Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. John 2:2) so they knew that something is coming down. They were also there when the nobleman from Capernaum son was healed, and when the man at the Pool of Bethesda was healed so by now they know when to expect the unexpected.
Jesus on the other hand is not really taken by all of their excitement or anticipation, he was focused on them learning about Him and His Father and learning the principles and practices of faith that he was teaching them.
God has demonstrated that he will start with what we have. He said to Moses in the wilderness, after Moses was complaining that he was not adequate to the task, “What is that in your hand?” Exodus 4:2. God was going to start with the rod to get Moses ready for the mass exodus of His people from Egypt. The widow in Zarephath was down to “only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar;” 1 Kings 17:12, enough for a last meal for herself and son before they died. The other widow, herself in a desperate situation, gets a similar question in 2 Kings 4:2 Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” “Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a little oil.” And then there was Andrew, feeling silly with a little boy’s lunch.
When we are in dire straits, we have to know and to remember that God, who made the world out of nothing, has the capacity to meet our need our of something. When we assess what we have it must not be to faint or to loose heart, it must be to take it to God, line it up against the problem and wait for God’s perspective. God is always up to something for us. Give what you have left to God and listen for His voice. Listen to hear Him say, “Throw it on the ground,” like he said to Moses, or “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first …” as he said to the widow of Zarephath, or “… shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour …” like He said to the desperate widow, or “Make the men sit down,” as he said to Andrew in the story on which we have been meditating.
When we give what we have to God, our God takes it and blesses it and makes it adequate to our needs. From our perspective the things don’t add up, but from God’s perspective a blessed little accomplishes much. Let’s take stock of our resources again, and when we are done, let’s seek God’s blessing.
Be careful not to go to God before taking inventory because He’s likely to ask you, “what do you have?” or “what do you have left?”
Think on these things:
There is a song by Helena Barrington from 1994 that captures this lesson so well that I thought of placing the lyrics in our Think on these things section today. Here is a YouTube link to the Alvin Slaughter rendition – https://youtu.be/eTLmHJlq-6Q
THAT’S WHEN
Helena Barrington
©1994 Integrity’s Praise! Music/BMI
When we have a work to do
And the task ahead seems bigger than you
That’s when He steps in
When you know in your heart that God’s command
Takes more than can be done by man
That’s when He steps in
He sees you at the point of your need
He sees you at the point of crossing your Red Sea
In the moment you call
When you’ve given your all
He steps in, He steps in
And He’ll say,
What’s that you have in your hand
I can use it, if you’re willing to lose it
Take the little you have and make it grand
I am El-Shaddai and I’ll more than supply your need
When all you have is oil in a jar
That’s a reflection of where you are
That’s when He steps in
A little boy’s lunch of fish and bread
Is all you have for the need ahead
That’s when He steps in
Let Him take it and bless it and break it and give it
He’ll multiply it in the moment you live it
And in the moment you call
When you’ve given your all,
He steps in, He steps in
And He’ll say,
He’ll say
What’s that you have in your hand
I can use it, if you’re willing to lose it
Take the little you have and make it grand
I am El-Shaddai and I’ll more than supply
I’ll supply
I will supply your need
Prayer focus:
Let us pray today that we would learn to trust God to do much with our little.
In His Grace
Pastor Alex