“One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.” Proverbs 11:24 NIV

Jesus taught His disciples to be distributors of His blessing and “first responders” to those in need. That’s why He involved them in the process; He was equipping them to represent Him in the future. In the feeding of the five thousand, the miracle of multiplication did not take place when the food left Christ’s hands, but the disciples’ hands. He blessed the five loaves and two fish, gave it to them, and they set out to do what seemed ridiculous: feed a multitude with one boy’s lunch. But as they did it, they experienced the miraculous. Why? Because when the Lord’s blessing is upon what you have, you’ll succeed in spite of the challenges and obstacles. God has given each of us something that others need. But sometimes we fail to recognize it or we doubt its worth. So we conclude, “I don’t have what it takes.” You do—but it’s in seed form! Jesus described it this way: “First the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head” (Mark 4:28 NKJV). God has deposited within you something He wants you to recognize, nurture, and use for His glory. When He blesses it, you’ll be amazed at the underdeveloped potential you’ve been running around with. This miracle began when a boy found an unmet need and decided, “These people are hungry and need to be fed.” That’s also when the disciples discovered what Jesus could do with what they had, even though it looked hopelessly inadequate. The word for you today is—use what God has given you!

The Word for You Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from Celebration Enterprises, Inc. Copyright © 2024