God is very real, despite what many in the world would have us believe!  Unfortunately, we have difficulty with intangibles.  Because we don’t have experiences like those of Peter, John, Paul or others who have sat at the feet of Jesus, we struggle and are susceptible to efforts to erase any belief in a Sovereign God.  In John 6:1-14, let us learn of and share in a young boy’s experience of God in a way that cannot help but change his life forever.

A young lad is found in the midst of a multitude whose only desire is to be in the presence of the rabbi known as Jesus.  Mighty works had been attributed to Him and this young lad is now caught up in how big God really is!  Upon seeing the multitude, in the region because of the requirement to attend the Passover, Jesus begins a test of two disciples.  Jesus begins by asking Philip where food could be obtained to feed them all.  Philip’s response implies that he sees this as an impossible task, while Andrew presents a boy and his lunch of 5 loaves and 2 fish, saying, “But what are these with so many people?”  Jesus then instructs the disciples to seat the people in the grassy areas, and gives thanks and distributes the meager rations to the people.  An amazing event unfolds as the lunch of the young boy ends up feeding over 5000 people and the leftovers fill 12 baskets!! 

What does this mean to us?  First, we see that God is so big that He attracts great crowds… are we among them?  Do we truly seek Jesus in our own lives?  We also see that a big God Who tests His followers, helping them to recognize their limitations and where they need to grow… are we willing to be tested, to know our limitations and areas in which to grow?  In short, it means that the God we serve is as big as He needs to be and that He can do much with little.  Because a young boy sought out Jesus, he and his lunch were available to accomplish a great purpose.  A question we must ask ourselves; “Are we making ourselves, and what we have available, for the great purposes of our God?”  If we will do this, He will accomplish great things through us, much like that little boy!

Copyright © 2010, Nolan P. Rutter