Everyone knows the story of the loaves and fishes in the Bible. It’s one of the few incidents in Jesus’ life that is recorded in all four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). In it, Jesus and the disciples retreat to an isolated place for some R & R, but the crowd follows. Jesus has compassion on them (that sounds like Him  and teaches them until late in the day, at which point his disciples suggest that He send the people away to buy food for themselves in nearby villages. (I’m sure their own rumbling stomachs had something to do with their suggestion.)

Jesus tells His guys, “You give them something to eat.” Quite an outrageous request! They respond as we would have, shocked at the request, then mentally calculating the cost of such a dinner on the grounds. Impossible, they all but said. We would never have enough money to buy dinner for 5,000 plus. 

When we hear that small voice inside, feel that command from God forming in our spirit, do we immediately react with our practical senses as the disciples did? Outrageous! I could never do that! It could never happen, and here’s why. All the reasons come erupting violently out of our minds and emotions. Sometimes God’s commands, though glorious, are also scare-ious. They involve losing our reputation, stepping off cliffs (not literally), and likely humiliation and failure (in our own eyes). Impossible, and here’s the reasons!

However, Jesus ignored their reasons and asked them a simple question: “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.”

Hmmmmmm…… What does that have to do with anything? Five loaves and two fishes — that’s as good as having two ping pong paddles and five balls when it comes to feeding over 5,000 people. Neither one would do the trick.

Actually, loaves and fishes were better than ping pong paddles because they were the same type of stuff Jesus was looking for: food. But it was clearly NOT ENOUGH! (Yes, I’m shouting.).

But Jesus took what they had, gave thanks, and broke it. Then He gave it back to them to distribute to the 5,000 (read: to do as He commanded).

It occurs to me that Jesus looked at the disciples, and looks at us, and sighs to the Father, “Not enough.” Didn’t He even say to the disciples (not to us, mind you), “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” “Why are you afraid?” “Why are you talking about that when that’s not the point?” “Why are you worrying?” How could twelve faithless, bumbling disciples turn into 2.18 billion Christians? Impossible.

But Jesus gave thanks for us anyway, and broke us, and we multiplied!

In the same way, we also have enough of whatever He asks of us when we give thanks for the little we have, and allow ourselves to be broken.

At times I have laid out at the altar begging God to take a sledge hammer to my hard, hard heart. Break me. Make me useful to you. Do whatever it takes, and let this prayer override any other prayer I ever pray. I can’t do this. My heart is cold. I’m not enough. 

The good news is that we don’t have to rely on, have faith in, or be persuaded that what we have is enough to do the job. It is clearly NOT ENOUGH! (Shouting again). But that’s the good news. We thank God for what we have and give it to Him to break and multiply. We don’t have to do the miracle; He does the multiplying. He makes it all happen. We just thank Him and present it to Him. It’s up to Him to make NOT ENOUGH more than enough to accomplish His purposes.

That’s a relief to me because I can put faith in God’s side of the equation. It’s me I have trouble believing in. When I try to put my faith in my five loaves and two fishes, I despair. I cry. I wail and complain. I’m faithless.

But my part is very small. It’s just being willing and obedient. He has the big job of making the miracle happen.

And He’s got this. Yippee!!!