Have you ever told the Lord that you couldn’t do something? I have, and I was completely convinced it was useless to even try. But then the Lord showed me that even small things become great in His hands.
Large crowds often followed Jesus. And that day, after He had crossed the Sea of Galilee, was no different. He had ventured off alone with his disciples to rest in a quiet place.
Even there, however, the crowds followed Him. When he saw the large crowd, he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. (Mark 6; John 6.)
Despite being tired and grieving the death of John the Baptist, Jesus sat down and taught them. Eventually, seeing how late it was, the disciples suggested that they send the people away to buy food.
Little becomes much
“No, you give them something to eat!” Jesus said, disregarding their objection that they had neither enough food nor the necessary funds to buy enough. “We only have five small barley loaves and two little fish. How far will they go among so many people?”
So Jesus took that food and taught them to take what little they had and give it to God.
That small amount of food was enough for everyone. A whopping 5000 men, plus women and children, were present, and afterwards they collected 12 baskets of leftovers! Because even a little — when placed in God’s hands — becomes a lot.
God gives us so much
Christ didn’t need to use they food they had. He could have made something out of nothing. But He chose to work with what the Father had already provided.
The Bible tells us that God often used what people already had. This included items like Moses’ staff, David’s sling, and a widow’s almost empty jar of oil.
“What are you holding?” God asked Moses. “A rod,” he replied. The Lord used that rod to show that He was the one sending Moses, so that even the high and mighty Pharaoh would be forced to listen. (Exodus 4.)
“What do you have in your house?” Elisha asked the widow. Then he told her to get that little jar of oil and to borrow more jars from her neighbors. God used that little bit of oil and turned it into a miraculous supply that lasted until the terrible famine was over. (2 Kings 4)
God has given us so much, but we often don’t realize it.
God has also placed much in our hands. He has given us material blessings, talents we’re good at, and the spiritual gifts we need to carry out His work.
Yet we often overlook what the Lord has entrusted to us. We convince ourselves that we are not good enough and that we can’t do things, so we don’t even attempt to move forward in obedient faith.
We forget that little becomes much in His hands.
Like the disciples with their few fish and loaves, we fail to see that even a little becomes a lot in God’s hands.
I learned this lesson years ago the first time I was asked to speak at a women’s meeting. I’m not afraid to speak in public, even in front of big crowds. But teaching God’s Word (especially in Italian) is a different story. It’s a big responsibility, and that scares me.
I’m not a good public speaker. I’m better at writing and mentoring, so I felt sure it would be a flop. Most of all, however, I was afraid of disappointing God.
But God reminded me: “I have already given you so much. You have a story to tell. My story in your life. Just tell what I’ve done in your life, and I’ll do the rest.
I’ve heard people say that their knees shake when speaking to crowds. Trembling knees? My whole body was shaking! And my mouth was so dry that when I opened it to speak, nothing came out!
It’s God’s ability that counts
“You see, Lord, I knew I couldn’t do it!” I told Him. And He said, “You’re right, and I already knew that. But didn’t I tell you that if you would let go of your fears and do your best, that I would do the rest?”
God doesn’t call us because of our skills and abilities; He knows they are inadequate. He just asks that we do our best, assuring us that He will take care of the rest. For He is the God who does much with little.
So I tried again, trying to do my best, and God really did do the rest! It was extraordinary, because my message on overcoming fear touched their hearts. I know because many women told me so, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.
But I also knew that it wasn’t because of me, because I’m not a powerful speaker.
“God has given us everything we need for doing His work,” I told them. We just need to let go of our doubts and fears, and step out in faith using the gifts He’s already given us. He will do the rest, and we can rest in this certainty.
Many people in the Bible didn’t have much. A few fish, an ordinary stick, a small jar of oil. What they had was little. And that little could never be enough, until they gave it to God.
We may not have much either. Like Moses, we may think that we’re not good speakers. Or we may feel like Philip with those few fish and loaves, thinking that our little gifts and talents will never be adequate.
And it’s true. What we have is not enough and it never will be. Our talents, abilities, and knowledge are so little. God already knows that we’re not up to the task.
All God asks is that we do our best and trust Him to do the rest. And He always does, because in His hands, little becomes much — and more than enough.
It is then that we discover that not only is He is the God who does the rest. He’s the One who does it all.
It is not my ability but my response to God’s ability that counts.
Corrie ten Boom
📷 Image credits: fish & bread by http://www.LumoProject.com; widow with jar by FreeBibleImages.org; grain in hands; woman.