Start with What You’ve Got

“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” John 6:9

Observe what the disciples said to Jesus just before He fed five thousand hungry people: ‘There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?’ End of story? No, ‘Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people … And they all ate as much as they wanted … So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves’ (vv. 11-13). God always gives you something to start with. But you have to look for it, recognize it, and put it into His hands. The miracle of multiplication happened when a boy took what he had and made it available to Jesus. The Bible says, ‘Do not despise this small beginning, for the eyes of the Lord rejoice to see the work begin’ (Zechariah 4:10). Don’t be afraid to take small steps, just make sure they’re steps of faith and God will work through you. Jesus said, ‘I will build my church’ (see Matthew 16:18). And what did He build it with? Twelve flawed people just like us! But when He poured Himself into them, the mix was so concentrated that when two of them got together they could turn whole towns upside down (see Acts 17:6). You say, ‘But I’ve so many shortcomings.’ We all come to the Lord damaged and in need of repair. But the good news is, you can be strong in some areas and struggling in others and God can still use you – as long as you’re willing to start with what you’ve got.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for using me as I am and helping me do incredible things that only You can do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen