"What's That You Have?"

“There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”

John 6:9

Jesus had been teaching the people and now they were hungry.  The Disciples told Jesus they didn't have enough money to buy food for all the crowd.  Disillusioned, the Disciples told Jesus that there was a young boy with 5 barley loaves and two fish.  Now...I have researched this and, while the boy's lunch doesn't sound like much, it was actually a LOT smaller than we imagine.  The lunch the boy had consisted of 5 barley loaves, each about the size of a biscuit.  The fish were about the size of a sardine.  Now this might fill the stomach of a young boy, but how would it help the thousands of other people who had come to hear Jesus teach and were now hungry.

How many times do we see an opportunity to help others that God has put right in front of us, yet our response to Him is "I don't have what it takes" or "I'm not good enough" or "What do I have to offer"?  God doesn't ask us to wait until we "have what it takes."  God takes what we have to offer and, in His own amazing way, makes it exactly what is needed.  I have seen this happen too many times to think it a coincidence.  Jesus took the tiny lunch, blessed it, and turned that into, not only what everyone needed, but also made sure there were leftovers.  12 baskets full of left overs!  

There will come a time when you are faced with an opportunity to serve, and you will feel overwhelmed and inadequate. If you listen closely in your heart of hearts, you will hear the gentle voice of Abba ask, "What's that YOU have?"  Give ALL to Abba, and you will see His provision!