Christ Church Daily Devotion March 12 2024

Jesus performs a miracle by feeding over 5000 people with just a small offering of five loaves and two fish. The disciples initially doubted that it would be enough, but Jesus showed that God can provide abundantly. The lesson is to trust in God's provision and offer what we have, no matter how small, and let Him work from there. Our efforts are meaningful, but God's will controls the outcome. We should always be grateful for His blessings and be willing to give from what He has given us. Welcome to Christ Church's Daily Devotion for March 12th, 2024. Today we will be reading from John chapter 6, verses 8 through 13. Another of his disciples, 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? Jesus said, Have the people sit down. There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down. About five thousand men were there. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. And when they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted. So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. Jesus does more than just miraculously feed upwards of five thousand people, as we see in John 6.10. With the contents of a boy's small lunch, John 6.9, he turns that small offering into so much food that the disciples used twelve baskets collecting the leftovers. This was after the disciples all but gave up on feeding such a large throng of people, Mark 6.36 and John 6.7-9. The task seemed too large and the resources available seemed too small. The disciples' problem, essentially, wasn't that there was something wrong with thinking of money or food, but that they were approaching the situation backwards. Rather than trying to scrape up something worthy of God, then offering it, Jesus taught them to simply bring whatever they had to God, first and foremost, and let him work from there. When there is a need, our first response needs to be trusting God to provide for it. Our efforts are still meaningful, but God's will controls the outcome, and we're meant to rely on his power. Likewise, what we think of as too little, whether it's our skills, our talents, or our resources, can become more than enough when we give it entirely to Jesus. Your personal worship option today is, Lord Jesus, today I want to thank you for your blessings. They are more than enough. Help me to always be willing to give from what you have given me, whether it be large or small. Amen.