He Is Provision
By Shirley Mitchell
“By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. ‘This is a remote place,’ they said, ‘and it’s already very late. Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.’
But he answered, ‘You give them something to eat.’
They said to him, ‘That would take eight months of a man’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?’
‘How many loaves do you have?’ he asked. ‘Go and see.’
When they found out, they said, ‘Five-and two fish.’
Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.”
Mark 6:35-44
Even if today’s story is familiar to you, imagine yourself as if you do not know the outcome and you were the first eyewitness. The first time I saw the Jesus film from Reverend Billy Graham Ministries with my daughters I was mesmerized. When it was time for the miracle of feeding the 5,000, the five loaves and two fish were brought to Jesus. He lifted the two baskets in the air and prayed: “Blessed art Thou, O Lord Our God, King of the Universe, who bringeth forth bread from the earth.” While the scarce-filled baskets were in the air, the sky and the limited contents in the baskets were visible. When Jesus lowered them to the ground, the baskets were full. I was so surprised that I gasped even though I knew what was going to happen!
This miracle is the only one recorded in all four Gospels. On the hills by the shores of the Sea of Galilee, this miracle happened during a time when Jesus’ popularity was soaring.
Jesus had great love for the crowd. He saw them like “sheep without a shepherd” (verse 34). He knew that He was their Shepherd. He was the one who could care for them, feed them, and protect them. Jesus wanted to care not only for their spiritual needs, but also for their physical needs. The crowd was not an inconvenience to Jesus which impeded Him from tending to His personal needs. His disciples did not share in this genuine love.
The sermon was dispensed, and the disciples were ready to go. The disciples did not come to Jesus expecting a miracle. Not only did the disciples not have any faith, they did not share the same agenda as Jesus because they were not concerned with meeting the evident need of the people. Jesus’ response to the disciples, “You feed them” was a shock to them. In verse 37, they said, “That would take eight months of a man’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”
After the boy’s basket was brought to Him, Jesus instructed the disciples to seat the crowd in groups of hundreds and fifties. He had declared that this boy’s lunch was enough. Do you think the disciples were concerned that they had just told a crowd of 5,000 men plus women and children to sit down to be fed, and all they saw was enough lunch for one? Scripture does not tell us the level of their doubt or faith after Jesus gave them the instruction to have the crowd sit down. We are left to wonder if they were planning their escape route or if they were in expectation of another miracle from the Messiah. They had already seen Him turn the water into wine, raise a young girl back to life, and cast out demons. Were they anticipating another miracle?
Jesus invited the disciples that day to join with Him in the victory. At the end of the day, the disciples were delighted that they had participated in this extraordinary event. They would not have turned that crowd away for any degree of being tired or hungry themselves. Imagine their faces as they kept pulling bread and fish out of the basket as they walked around serving the people. Not only did Jesus give them a filled basket, He kept the supply going as long as there were people to be fed.
Jesus multiplied the meal, and there were 12 basketsful left over. We live in a culture that tells us to be self-sufficient. However, our God places us in situations where we don’t have the resources to complete the work. He patiently waits for us to draw from His bottomless well of glorious riches (Ephesians 3:16). Our God can multiply the few resources that we bring to Him. We can get trapped in mediocrity by focusing on our resources alone. We must know that He has divine power to be applied in our lives that is more than we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). When we entered into a covenant relationship with Him by accepting Jesus as our Savior, we have access to His full resources as partners of His kingdom work.
Does God provide for the physical needs of His people today? I could write an entire book about God’s provision. He has carried my through the darkest of times – from losing my childhood home, through my father’s death, and through my husband’s job loss. He has written a beautiful story of how He has met my every physical need, grown my character, and revealed Himself to me!
Many years ago, I asked my sister Peggy who knew more than I did, “How much is enough savings to make you feel secure?” She couldn’t give me an answer to satisfy me. It took me a while to answer that question, but now I know the answer to my own question. No amount will ever do. A person can have thousands or millions, but if she does not have God, then she lives in fear and is subject to losing her stockpile where her trust is placed. However, you and I can have $1 and follow our LORD, and we will have everything. You and I will place our security and our trust in our LORD who provides.
What is your story? How has the Lord provided for you, or do you trust God to provide for you right now?
Pray with me: You are our Provider! You multiply resources. Mathematical laws are defied. You always have enough. You are compassionate to us and desire to give us not only our spiritual needs, but our physical needs. Because You have eternal wisdom and knowledge and know the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10), You know our every need before we do. Because You see the future, You foresee our needs. Through these tough economic times, we cry out to our Provider to multiple and bring for us what we need! In the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.
Excerpt from theJesus Lives Bible study