One day, a huge crowd of people came to see Jesus. So many people! More than you could count, even if you counted all day long.
They were hungry.
Jesus turned to His twelve special friends and said, “You feed them.”
That sounds like a giant, impossible job. His friends only had five little loaves of bread and two little fish. That is not even enough food for one family, and there was a whole crowd.
But Jesus was not being silly or making a joke. He had already given his friends his permission and power to do amazing things. They had healed some who were sick. Others who were having a fit and throwing things, they made calm with a word. They watched Him turn plain water into juicy grape juice at a wedding. Now Jesus seemed to suggest that they do the same with the small amount of food.
So when Jesus said, “You feed them,” He was really saying, “Use my power, again, this time to feed these people.”He was giving them a big job and the chance to move onto the next grade in His school.
But they kept looking at the small fish. Then they looked at Him, and He understood: they weren’t ready to move up.
With the food in His hands, He blessed the man. Then He handed the food to his friends. They passed the fish and bread to the crown. And guess what? The food never ran out. Everyone ate until they were full. There were even twelve baskets of leftovers. One basket for each of his friends.
The Big Idea
Jesus loves to give us jobs that feel too big for us. Not because He wants us to fail, but because He wants to do what He did—and even bigger things.
Try this. Count out five crackers and two fish-shaped crackers. Look at that little pile of food and imagine a crowd bigger than your whole school sitting in front of you. That is how big the job looked to Jesus’s friends. They went back to their teacher and asked Him to pass the test for them. And He did. Jesus made enough to go around of all.
When we pass a big test, we move to the next grade.
What is something Jesus wants you to do that feels too big or too hard for you right now?
Prayer: Dear Jesus, sometimes You ask me to do things that feel way too big for me. Help me remember that You are strong enough for both of us. I want to say yes to You, just like Your friends did. Amen.
Eddie is an award-winning author known for crafting suspenseful mysteries and humorous adventures that captivate readers, young and old. His books are read by countless inmates and used to introduce others to Christ.
Eddie is the author of The Caribbean Chronicles, a time-travel pirate fantasy adventure series, and The Caden Chronicles, a mystery series based on supernatural myths that he believes have their roots in the Bible. In each case, Nick Caden seeks to debunk the supernatural “myth” and uncover the truth.
Eddie helped launch Christian Devotions Ministries and is its president. He is the former CEO of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, a Christian book publishing company. He is Executive Editor of Inspireafire.com and Devokids.com. (If you want to write for IAF, hail this pirate!) He’s also a Writers’ Coach.