June 16th, 2005

[.se3ker.]

Jesus said, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

-Matthew 17:20 (NIV)

IN today's reading, the disciples have only five loaves and two fish to offer the hungry crowd. The disciples say that it would require 200 silver coins to buy food for such a group. When Jesus asks his disciples, "How many loaves do you have?" (Mark 6:38) he is asking about the resources they do have -- the loaves and fish -- not the resources they don't have -- the 200 coins. When Jesus receives the bread and the fish, he multiplies it into a grand feast for thousands, complete with twelve baskets of leftovers! Jesus turns a seemingly inadequate offering into abundance.

Several years ago, a visiting preacher spoke about how God can use whatever we give, even when all we have to offer is a tiny seed of faith, ability, money, or time. He reminded us that our job as Christians is to give God what we have, however inadequate our offering may seem, and to trust God to do the rest.

Today Jesus asks us, "How many loaves do you have?" Jesus longs for us to give him whatever we have to offer and to watch him multiply our "tiny seed" into abundance.

Janine A. Kuty (Virginia, U.S.A.)

Prayer:

Father God, help us remember the miracles you work with tiny offerings. Give us faith to offer you what we have. In Jesus' name. Amen.

.seek.