Daily Dose #90
BETTER TO GIVE — PART 2 — GIVE WHAT YOU HAVE
JOHN 6:5–13 (ESV)
“Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?’ He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, ‘Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.’ One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?’ Jesus said, ‘Have the people sit down.’”
In the previous devotion, we saw that Jesus taught it is more blessed to give than to receive. Generosity begins in the heart, but eventually it requires action. The question many people ask is not whether they should give but whether what they have is enough to make a difference.
That is exactly the situation the disciples faced in John 6. A large crowd had gathered around Jesus, and the need seemed overwhelming. Philip immediately focused on what they lacked. Even a large amount of money would not be enough to feed everyone. Andrew noticed a boy with five loaves and two fish, but even he questioned what such a small amount could accomplish.
The disciples were measuring the situation by their resources.
Jesus was looking at it from a completely different perspective.
The miracle began when someone was willing to place what little they had into the hands of Christ. Five loaves and two fish did not seem significant compared to the size of the need, but they were enough when surrendered to Jesus.
Many believers fall into the trap of thinking that God can only use people who have more. More talent. More experience. More confidence. More resources. More opportunities. Yet throughout Scripture, God repeatedly works through ordinary people who simply place what they have at His disposal.
This is one of the lessons found throughout the Bible. Moses thought his weakness disqualified him. Gideon believed he was the least qualified person for the task. The disciples themselves were ordinary men. Yet God was never limited by what they lacked. He worked through what they were willing to surrender.
This truth is reflected in 2 CORINTHIANS 8:12 (ESV) which says, “For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.” God does not hold people accountable for what they have not been given. He asks them to be faithful with what they have.
The boy in this account could have kept his lunch. It did not seem large enough to make a difference. Yet because it was placed into the hands of Jesus, it became part of a miracle that fed thousands. God often works the same way today. Small acts of obedience, simple acts of generosity, and ordinary steps of faith can have an impact far beyond what we initially imagine.
One of the enemy's greatest lies is that what you have is too small to matter. Yet the kingdom of God is filled with examples of God using seemingly small things to accomplish great purposes. The issue has never been the size of the gift. The issue is the willingness of the heart.
As this series continues, remember that generosity is not about comparing what you have with what someone else has. It is about faithfully offering what God has entrusted to you. The boy's lunch seemed insignificant until it was placed in the hands of Jesus. What appeared small became the starting point of something far greater because it was surrendered to Him.
Perhaps the question is not whether you have enough.
Perhaps the question is whether you are willing to place what you have in the hands of Christ.
Because God has always been able to do far more with surrendered hearts than we could ever do on our own.
And as we will see next time, generosity is about far more than money. God has entrusted every believer with something that can be used for His glory and the good of others.