Just before Jesus fed five thousand hungry people, the disciples said to Him: ‘There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?’ End of story? No, ‘Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people…And they all ate as much as they wanted…So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves’ (vv. 11-13 NLT). God always gives you something to start with. But you have to look for it, recognise it, and put it into His hands. The miracle of multiplication happened when a boy took what he had, and made it available to Jesus. The Bible says, ‘Do not despise this small beginning, for the eyes of the Lord rejoice to see the work begin’ (Zechariah 4:10 TLB). Don’t be afraid to take small steps, just make sure they’re steps of faith and God will work through you. Jesus said, ‘I will build my church’ (Matthew 16:18). And he used twelve flawed people just like us. But when He poured Himself into them, the mix was so concentrated that when two of the disciples got together, they could turn whole towns upside down (Acts 17:6). We all come to the Lord damaged and in need of repair. But we can be strong in some areas and struggling in others and God can still use us. We just have to be willing to come as we are.
What Now?
Using only what’s in your fridge/cupboards right now, try and create an interesting new meal or snack. Get creative with the things you’ve got, and see what you come up with.
