“When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” 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.” John 6:5-11
Was there ever a time in your life when your parents told you to do something and you just knew, that was not something you were going to do because there was NO way that was going to work? I know that it happened to me…can’t count the times on both hands that happened to me. There are times, when good advice or directions are hard to follow or believe.
Remember the wedding at Cana when the host had run out of the good wine and Mary told Jesus to do something? Jesus replied that it wasn’t His time but went ahead with her request and the servants must have thought that this son of a carpenter was a lunatic. But we read in John 2:5; “His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever HE tells you.” Jesus’ mom tells the servants to just ‘do whatever HE tells you’.
Now we read in John 6 about the feeding of the five thousand and the disciples telling Jesus why they can’t feed this many people and here is the boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish…”do whatever HE tells you”. I like that the NIV has the words ‘small’ to describe the size of the bread and fish as if big loaves and big fish would have lessened the effect of the miracle. Jesus gave thanks, blessed the food and fed the five thousand men and scholars surmise the number was closer to fifteen thousand hungry people with women and children included. Just do whatever HE tells you.
Trinity HOPE has been searching for more schools to feed in Haiti for some time and a month ago Keith Logan learned there may be more Christian schools on the Island of Gonave; surely not, never heard that before. Keith gets a nudge, goes to Gonave and Trinity HOPE will start feeding 8 new schools in September. Just do whatever HE tells you. IF you have a quarter in your pocket that isn’t really worth much and is heading for the change jar on your dresser, stop and look at the attached photo. Your quarter can provide a meal for this hungry Haitian school child. Please, just do whatever HE tells you.
Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay