Matthew 14:15-21
That evening the disciples came to Jesus and said, “This place is like a desert, and it is already late. Let the crowds leave, so they can go to the villages and buy some food.”
Jesus replied, “They don’t have to leave. Why don’t you give them something to eat?”
But they said, “We have only five small loaves of bread[c] and two fish.” 18 Jesus asked his disciples to bring the food to him, 19 and he told the crowd to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish. He looked up toward heaven and blessed the food. Then he broke the bread and handed it to his disciples, and they gave it to the people.
After everyone had eaten all they wanted, Jesus' disciples picked up twelve large baskets of leftovers.
There were about five thousand men who ate, not counting the women and children.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version ©1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A childhood friend of mine is facing a heartbreaking situation. This will be the last night she gets to spend with two children she has fostered for several months. Tomorrow they will return to their mother. The now-4-year-old boy and his 7-month-old sister have been with my friend since the little girl was seven weeks old. As my friend puts it, “they feel safe.” She also wrote lately, “This is not what I prayed for, Lord! I asked for children of my own!” Yet God gave her foster children instead. Understandably, my friend has grown attached to her “children” these last few months. She worries about the environment they will return to, and she is trying to mentally and emotionally prepare herself for their departure. I’m sure my friends who are involved in fostering children in our community will totally understand this.
One day this week, my friend wrote on Facebook about a conversation she heard on television between Oprah Winfrey and Bishop T.D. Jakes. Bishop Jakes mentioned this passage from Matthew 14 and said (speaking of Jesus)…” We are certain that He had 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread when He blessed it. As he broke it - that's where we lose count. You understand then, that the blessing is at the breaking. That which refuses to be broken, refuses to be blessed. It is the breaking of life that produces the blessing of life. I have noticed in my life that the most blessed people I have ever met have gone through something that broke them."
Really think about this and let it soak in for a while. Have you had “broken” experiences that produced growth? Have you lost a loved one – and grown in your faith and dependence on God to sustain you? Have you been sick or injured and seen God work through others to heal and comfort you? Have you suffered a broken relationship or a personal loss of some sort that made you more aware of others’ feelings and caused you to be more aware of how you treat them?
I am sad for my friend… I understand her pain. And because of this, I have been able to offer her words of encouragement that she knows are sincere and heartfelt. She knows that I speak firsthand when I tell her, “I don’t know how God will get you through this… I only know that He will.” Whatever you have experienced… or whatever may happen to you in the future… can be the catalyst for your next blessing. My friend concluded her Facebook post by saying… ”I am so very thankful, and I bless these little children who brought - and bring - challenges, laughter, and joy to my life. I will always be grateful for the opportunity to have loved them. And so I surrender to fully embrace and bless this experience… and look to God for even greater, unimagined blessings.”
I had never considered these verses from Matthew 14 in this context. I had never thought of the broken bread that multiplied as an illustration of how God uses our brokenness to create growth and blessings. But I have learned that God’s word is new every day – and always timely – so I should not be surprised that He would use this familiar passage to teach me another lesson. And I don’t plan to miss the message! I hope you won’t, either.
Whatever God is doing in your life… whatever seems to be breaking or falling apart… God will use this to create blessings and growth. The question we must as is not “LORD, why?” but rather, “Lord, what next?” Are you seeking blessings in your brokenness? Are you asking the right questions?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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