Daily Devotional for February 16, 2010

February 16 ~ Matthew 15:36
…he took the seven loaves of bread and the fish and gave thanks. He then broke them and handed them to his disciples, who passed them around to the crowds.Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.

Last summer, my grandmother called one early afternoon and said she was cooking supper for my mom and her husband, and she wondered if my husband and I wanted to join them. I asked what she was preparing, because my grandmother is 97, and she is not used to cooking for a large group like she once did. She said so far she was preparing green beans, corn, sweet potatoes, and a lemon pie… and that my mom was bringing ribs. I offered to bring some chicken that I was already cooking for our dinner.

By the time we got to her house for dinner, not only were my mom and her husband there, my sister and her husband, my niece, and our great-nephew were there, too. If you lost count, that is seven adults and one baby! I asked my grandmother, was she sure she had enough to feed that many people? Her response was, “Well, if not… at least we’ll all be together.” The menu had grown to include mashed potatoes, cornbread, hot made-from-scratch yeast rolls, black-eyed peas, cole slaw, and sliced tomatoes! I think we could have easily fed twice as many people. I don’t know if we will all be together like that for a meal in my grandmother’s home ever again. God blessed not only the food (and multiplied it), but He blessed the company, also.

So often, we sell God short. We look at what we DON’T have, rather than what we have… or we look at our situation and feel our resources are too limited to accomplish much. Unlike my grandmother, who takes a “dab of this” and a “dab of that” and puts it together to create a feast or something remarkable, we often throw up our hands and say, “I can’t work in these conditions,” or “I don’t have enough to get by!” or “I’m only one person – I can’t accomplish much.” Again, we sell God short – along with His ability to work in and through us to accomplish great things. We all know how this story in Matthew 15 ends. Jesus fed thousands with seven loaves of bread. He prayed and asked God for help, and God multiplied, fed and blessed.

When was the last time you prayed and asked God to help in a situation where you felt inadequate? When did you last ask Him to give you what you lack? Isn’t it about time we started depending on the One who can do all things? Isn’t it time we acknowledged His abilities and power… and trusted Him to deliver? Won’t you start today by asking God to fill in the gaps where you have needs? See for yourself what amazing things can be accomplished in His name and by His power. See how far your “little dab” will go with God’s help!

©2009 Debbie Robus