What Do You Have? What Are You Willing To Give? (Mark 8:1-10)
Sometimes we can sit and wonder how God can use us. We are masterful at the art of comparison. We don't have the talents others have, the degree's other have, the knowledge, the money, the time, the skills, the personality, the ____________ (fill in your blank). It is so easy for so many of us to feel as if we don't have much that would be useful in service to the Lord. Then we read Mark 8:1-10 and it changes everything. Or at least it should.
For 3 days a crowd of 4,000 men (not including women and children) followed Christ, listened to him, and watched him. They followed Him till they ended up in a very remote place. Christ looked out at them and he saw people who were hungry and had no way of feeding themselves. Christ called his 12 disciples to him and told them how he had compassion on them. He knew the people were hungry and would not make it if he sent them away as they were. I can picture the 12 looking around at each other, at the people and where they were and dumbfounded say to Christ, "that's all well and good Jesus but, in case the heat has gotten to you, have you forgotten where we are? Where would anyone find enough bread to feed all these people let alone pay for it." I am sure they were moved by and admired Jesus compassion but there was no practical or possible way they saw to help. I love Christ's response, "How many loaves do you have?" He basically asks them "what do you have that I can use?". The answer was 7 loaves and some fish. There were 12 of them not included Jesus so that meant they had less than one loaf of bread for each of them and they would have to share the fish. They too were in this remote place where replenished supplies would be hard to come by. It was all they had, as little as it was, it was everything. Christ didn't respond with, "That's it? That's the best you've got?" No, I picture him smiling and saying, "7 loaves? Perfect!" The disciples gave what they felt were their meager rations to Christ who took them, didn't look at them as meager but as plenty, and gave thanks. We then read that he multiplied what the 12 saw as little and not only fed the 4,000+ people there but had seven baskets full of leftovers. The disciples had more food for their continued journey then they had before and the people could take some for their journey home if they needed it.
What was it like for the 12 disciples to sit and watch over 4,000 people being fed because they were willing to let Christ use what little they had? Remember they were 12 and only had 7 loaves and a few fish. They barely had enough for themselves to eat and it was all they had. A few of them had to wonder how Christ could take all that they had, as little as it was, and do anything worthwhile with it. So, it had to have filled their hearts with such joy, amazement and awe when the love and power of their savior and friend Jesus Christ multiplied their meager provisions and caused it to become a bounty of plenty for so many more.
Each and every one of us has something that God can and desires to use. When you read through the bible you read story after story of God using people whom the world would deem insignificant to do mighty things. He always seems to take the smallest things and makes a mighty impact with them. You don't have to be the best of the best, you don't have to have the most, you don't have to have much of anything. But, take what you do have and lift it up to the Lord and give it to him. Let him know that you may not see it as much but you want to give it him to use to bless others, to feed others in spiritual ways that you don't know how but that you want to be used for the benefit of others.
No gift, no person, no offering of self is too small for the Lord. There are so many needs that we don't even realize exists in others. Let's be ready to let God use us to impact the lives of those he wants to reach. So take humble inventory and be ready to give to the Lord as he is asking you, "what do you have that you are willing to give?"
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