Word of the Day – My wife wanted to eat at Red Robin the other day – “Yumm.” And as we ate, my children were amazed that we could have bottomless fries. They kept eating and ordering more, and the fries always came… As they sat there bloated and lethargic, I began to think about how amazing it would have been to be there when Jesus fed the five thousand. It is hard to picture how one man in a field could take someone’s lunch and fill the stomachs of 5,000 men? Yet, after reading the passage today, the Lord reminded me that the ones who were really filled that day were the disciples. For Jesus wanted to teach them how He will provide what is needed to fill the needs of those we serve.
It starts with a compassion to fill a need. The disciples understood that the crowd was hungry, but they did not possess the power to fill the need of the people. So what did Jesus do? He said, “Give me what you have. I am going to bless it, and then I am going to give it back to you.” Those words have hit me hard today. The Lord has told me that He wants me to start a new type of fellowship to further His Kingdom. As I take inventory of what I have to offer Him, I see that I only have a few moldy loaves and smelly fish. I have compassion for the people in my community, yet by myself I have little to offer. Today the Word of the day is for me. Lord, I give you what I have. Please bless me indeed, so that those I serve will be filled by what you have blessed in my weakness.