Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:8)
Here is a biblical principle we all have a tendency to forget, especially when we are in seasons of scarcity: a little with the Lord is a lot! In all four gospel accounts, the Lord preserved a story that offers us great comfort and encouragement. In our passage today, Andrew brought a boy who had only five loaves and two fish, yet when he gave them over to the Lord, his seemingly insignificant offering was transformed into the story of the miraculous “Feeding of the 5,000”—which, in actuality, was probably a crowd of as many as 15,000 to 20,000 people.
We live in a world that insists that the more you have, the more valuable and important you are. But the Bible tells us that God looks not at the outward appearance of man, but rather at the heart. God does not measure our value, worth, and importance based on what we have acquired; rather, we are valuable, worthy, and important simply because of what He has given us: the incomparable inheritance of being made in His image. As image-bearers of God, we are set apart from and high above all of creation. And because we are made in the image of God, we are never to measure our self-worth by our net worth.
Regardless of what you have or don’t have, you are of infinite worth to God . . . so much so that God the Father sent God the Son to die in your place to pay the penalty for your sin. Why? So that He could have an intimate, personal, loving relationship with you for all eternity. Remember, God did not need any of us. No, God wanted us, and to see this any other way is to miss one of the most important messages in all of Scripture. Keep in mind that God was in perfect, eternal relationship with Himself—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He had no need for anything, especially us. What God did have was an eternal want to create a people He could love and who would love Him back.
Do you know one of the best ways to demonstrate your love for Jesus? Offer all that you are and all that you have in faithful service to Him. Sadly, there are a great many people who say, “I don’t have much to offer up to God.” That simply is not true! You have you, and you are all God wants. God wants you to live for Him, lean on Him, and learn from Him. He wants what’s in your heart, not what’s in your hand. And when He has captured your heart, you will release all that you hold in your hand, and He will use it for His glory and the good of others.
What are your loaves and fishes? What little do you have that, when you release it to your Lord, will become a lot? God wants to use you right now, right where you are. He wants to use the personality, life experiences, gifts, talents, and abilities He has given you. When you surrender those to the Lord, you can count on this: God will bless it and supply a supernatural increase.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 