¹⁷ ‘We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,’ they answered. ¹⁸ ‘Bring them here to me,’ he said. ¹⁹ And he told the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. ²⁰ They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ²¹ The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. Matt 14:17-21

This was our family devotional lesson last night. My children loved it. Jesus used one of the youngest members of this vast crowd, who had 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, to feed all the people. We need to realise firstly that no-one is too young to be used powerfully by God. Remember Paul said to Timothy, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity”. Never despise your own age nor somebody else’s.

Secondly it’s important to realise that a small quantity in Jesus’s hands can go as far as it needs to. Remember when God was commissioning Moses to go and lead the people of God out of bondage in Egypt? Moses was full of excuses. In helping him, one of God’s starting points was “what’s in your hand?” It was a staff. God then commands Moses to throw the staff on the ground and as Moses obeys with that which he had, God does the miracle.

There is a lesson for us to learn here. Moses could have looked at the staff and despised it in light of the big task that was at hand. The disciples could have looked at the 5 loaves and 2 fish and written them off in light of feeding 5,000 men plus women plus children.

Today, do not despise what you have. There are possessions, talents, dreams, a little money, clothes, food and many other things that you have that may look useless or insignificant. In Jesus’s hands they are mighty and can have far-reaching effects. Be prayerful and commit whatever it is you have into the hands of Jesus. Ask him to multiply it and to use it powerfully for his glory!

And one more thing. Sometimes you will be like the disciples in this story. In other words, sometimes you will be called upon to identify the little that somebody else has and to put it in the hands of Jesus in order to impact the world. Don’t miss that opportunity either. You can call out destiny in other people too. Do not despise them!

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