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You are here: Home / Devotions / TAKE 5–JULY 24, 2017

TAKE 5–JULY 24, 2017

July 24, 2017 by beardonnam Leave a Comment

“And a huge crowd was following Him because they saw the signs that He was performing by healing the sick. So Jesus went up a mountain and sat down there with His disciples. Now the Passover, a Jewish festival, was near. Therefore, when Jesus looked up and noticed a huge crowd coming toward Him, He asked Philip, “Where will we buy bread so these people can eat? ” He asked this to test him, for He Himself knew what He was going to do. Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little.” One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, “There’s a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish — but what are they for so many? ” Then Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, so they sat down. The men numbered about 5,000. Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks He distributed them to those who were seated — so also with the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were full, He told His disciples, “Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.” So they collected them and filled 12 baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten.”   John 6:2‭-‬13

So Jesus and company cross the lake or Sea of Galilee and there’s a ton of people waiting on Him because they’ve heard of the miracles that He’d been doing.
Jesus climbs up on the side of a mountain to teach His discilpes-the fact that it’s almost Passover tells us that its springtime, so everything’s pretty and green.

As Jesus is teaching, He sees the crowds coming up the hill towards them and Jesus decides to give His disciples a test.
He asks Philip, “Where will we buy bread so these people can eat?” (vs 5) Philip and the diciples huddle and come up with “Two hundred denarii worth of bread wouldn’t be enough for each of them to have a little.” (vs 7) Now 200 denerii, measured at a common feild hand’s wages is nearly $15,000 dollars by today’s standards, so Philip is obviously being somewhat sarcastic. BUT, he adds to this the solution to the problem:
“among the crowd was a boy whose mom had packed him a small lunch consisting of 5 barley loaves (like a corn tortillas) and 2 fish (probably like sardines).” (vs 9) That obviously wouldn’t go too far in this crowd of 5,000 men (probably a total of AT LEAST 12 to 13 THOUSAND people if only HALF of the men brought their families along AND if their families were small! There reasonslbly could have been upwards to 20,000 present.) The needs of the crowd FAR OUT-WEIGHED thr little boy’s food supply.

HOW WOULD SO LITTLE FEED SO MANY? It seems these are the circumstances under which God does His very BEST work! Why? The little boy didn’t have much, but what he had was much, much more than what anything anyone else brought because they brought NOTHING, while what he brought was EVERYTHING he had! He gave it ALL to Jesus, Who lifted it up and blessed it and in so doing, MULITIPLIED it to GOD-LIKE PROPORTIONS!

The small lunch fed the entire crowd of people until they were all full and when gathered up, 12 baskets of leftover barly loaves were collected! Wow! All from 5 small loaves or cakes!

The fact is what food the little boy had was very IRRPROPORTINATE to the estimated $15,000 worth of food that was needed to give everyone even a simple snack!

While what we have or can even collect will always be inadiqiate to fulfill the needs of the need-filled world that surrounds us, God is able to supply indefinitely for everyone. What He needs from us us our availibility and the availibility of all we have.

What resources do you have to give to Jesus today? Remember, God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor 12:9)-YOU are His greatest resource!

Think about it!

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