Bring What You Have

Matthew 14:17-18 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. He said, bring them hither to me.

I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but it would be very beneficial to you if you would read each Gospel account of the feeding of the five thousand. It is found in Matthew 14:15-21, Mark 6:31-44, Luke 9:10-17, and John 6:1-14. When each account is read, it gives us the complete picture of what happened from four different perspectives. This morning, I want to focus on what the disciples brought to Jesus. Today’s devotion will be a list of observations taken from these passages.

1. Jesus can and will perform the miracle, we cannot. Yet, He desires to use us in the miracle. This miracle benefitted the disciples as much as it did the hungry crowd.
2. The disciples were focused on their exhaustion and weakness, not on the needs of those that had followed Jesus. Jesus was moved with compassion because of the needs of the crowd. The disciples wanted to send them away. Jesus wanted to minister to them.
3. Jesus told the disciples to take care of them and their response was to give the reasons why the could not do it. Every excuse we make or reason we give for why we cannot, Jesus can take and turn it into a platform for why we can. We just have to bring it to Him.
4. In each account of this event, the disciples emphasized the little compared to the size of the need. “All we have is…” Jesus said to them, “Bring it to me.” The solution is never found in what we have, what we can do, or what we think we know. The solution is always JESUS. We must take what we have to Him and let Him work the miracle.
5. If we constantly focus on what we do not have, we will never see the power of God on display. Our focus should be on Him and His power. Take what you have, bring it to Him, and let Him do with it what He wills. You will be amazed at what our miracle working God can do.

In conclusion, I see myself in the disciples. Too many times I have an excuse for why I can’t and multiple reasons to back up that excuse. The truth is, I never can. The beauty of it all is this powerful truth: He doesn’t expect us to have the ability, He simply wants us to bring Him what we have so He can take it and use it. Instead of being discouraged by focusing on your ability (or lack thereof), focus on your availability. That is what God wants. He wants us to be available to Him so He can work through us. Bring what you have, and lay it before Him. He can take it, bless it, multiply it, and use it to bless others.

photo credit: Kelly Morton