God Gives the Increase

Spread the love

God will multiply the small efforts we make to have profound effects in the world so long as we endeavor with God’s approval and in God’s mission.

Look at the feeding of the 5,000. Jesus, knowing already what He would do, turned first to his disciple Philip and asked where enough bread could be purchased to feed the crowds. Philip’s response was, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!” (John 6:7 NLT). But five barley loaves and two fish produced enough to feed them all—from God’s hands, of course.

Too often we stand at the precipice of an effort only to make the decision that we are not capable of undertaking it; that we are too weak, too few, too overwhelmed, too alone. When in reality, we stand over a battlefield that has already been conquered. God is the victor and He waits for us to plant the flag and declare the victory.

I am struck, however, by the question of why God waits and relies upon us. For instance, in feeding the 5,000 did Jesus really even need the five loaves and two fish? Could He not have commanded the rocks of the field and made bread from them? He turned water into not just wine, but the finest wine. But Jesus took that which his disciples had gathered and multiplied their work.

He will exponentially increase your efforts, too. Do just what you can knowing God has the outcome in His hands.