THE SET UP
As a former youth pastor, I can tell you that you don’t want to be around a bunch of hungry teenagers - they can turn into a ‘hangry’ mob quick. I don’t know if there were many teenagers in the crowd Jesus was speaking to, but I am sure there were a lot of grumbling stomachs. It was getting late and people were getting hungry. To the disciples it seemed like a no-brainer. Send the crowds home so they can cook dinner or hit a drive through on the way. But Jesus wanted to teach them something. So He asked them what they had to work with, and they produced five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus takes those simple ingredients and feeds thousands of people. There were even leftovers! Jesus wanted His followers to know that He could take whatever they brought to Him and make something great happen. He can do the same for us. Whatever we have (or feel we don’t have) can accomplish a lot when we place it in God’s hands.
PASSAGE TO READ
Luke 9:10-17 (Page 622 in our house bibles)
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Can you think of a time when you were really hungry? How did you take care of your hunger?
If you were one of the disciples, what would you have thought when Jesus said, “You feed them”?
How have you seen God use what you have in your life to make a difference?
PRAYER IDEA
Thank God for His ability to take the little we have and use it in extraordinary ways. Ask Him to take your life and multiply it for His purposes today.
