How should we feel when it seems clear, “There isn’t enough”?
By Dean Collins
Elisha’s servant and Jesus’ disciples had the same view of the situation: “The bread we have isn’t enough.” You and I would have likely thought the same and would have said so.
When Elisha’s servant was told to give the bread to the 100 he asked, “How can I set this before 100 men?” It seemed obvious that the amount was insufficient to the need.
While Jesus was looking at the crowds with compassion, the disciples were looking at the sunset thinking, We got to get these people out of here. The disciples knew everyone was getting hungry and there was no Chick-Fil-a at this desolate location. Jesus denied the request to send the crowds home and told the disciples to feed them. The disciples had the same front-and-center question as Elisha’s servant: “How?”
Our question, too
And the question of “how?” wasn’t unique to them. How many times have we been guilty of getting stuck on it, too? We sing right along with the worship band on Sunday when the songs declare the greatness of God. Our voices fill the room as we declare the power, grace, and sufficiency of God to meet every need. But during the week when we are running low on resources, ideas, cash, and answers we tend to wonder, “How?”
Elisha’s answer to the question was, “They will eat and have some left.” He didn’t explain how it was possible; he simply declared it is enough. And just like the Jesus story, this one isn’t about everyone getting just one bite. They ate. They got full. There were leftovers.
In both stories, there were many hungry people. Some food was available. To those who were told to serve the meal, it appeared to be not enough. But then there ended up being enough and then some.
The real problem
It makes you wonder if we are the third story. There are a lot of hungry people in the world. Scripture tells us more than once to care for the needs of the poor. Matthew 25, for example, is pretty clear about feeding the hungry. It begs the question we read in these two stories. How? Is there enough? I wonder if Jesus is watching and saying, “They shall eat and there will be some leftovers .”
There is plenty of food in the world to go around. It’s not a question of resources. It’s a problem of willingness to act and faith that God does always provide.
Lord, help us move beyond simply expressing faith with our lips and toward demonstrating our faith through our actions. We have experienced your abundance time and time again. Shape our hearts to be God-sized, full of compassion and generosity, that we as your hands and feet may serve and go meet the needs of all.
Amen.
Your time with God’s Word
2 Kings 4:42-44; Matthew 14:16-20 ESV
Photo by Mariana Kurnyk from Pexels
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