Matthew 14:13-21 - When Jesus fed the 5000, we get fixated on the kid with the fish and bread. But it's not about the kid (in the Matthew version that I read, he's not even mentioned). It's about Jesus and what he did...and what he asked the disciples to do in the first place.

They suggested a logical thing - it's getting dark. There's no food here. There's food in nearby villages. People should go find some dinner before they're stumbling around in the dark looking for a KFC before it closes. Jesus, out of the blue, tells them to produce some food for them. What?

And here it is: when he asks us to do something, go somewhere, give something, talk to someone, etc....and we lack the obvious resources...what is our response?

In the story, the disciples actually started asking around for food. They had nothing to offer in and of themselves, so they gave their small resource to Jesus. He made it happen, gave it back to them, and they ended up feeding a ton of people.

Was it their ingenuity and quick thinking that saved the day? No. It was all the grace of God. When our resources look skimpy, we shouldn't panic. We shouldn't give up the task because there isn't an abundance of stuff/knowledge/money/time in front of us. God has the ability to provide that abundance. We need to be faithful with the scraps in our basket. He can turn those scraps into a feast.

We write this post to challenge and encourage ourselves. We pray it blesses you as well. Thank you for your faith as you pray and support us here. Together we are walking in God’s provision.