More Than Enough

And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. (John 6:11-12)

This story of Jesus feeding the five thousand appears in various forms in other Gospels.

A children’s book tells this story. A young boy has heard that Jesus is coming near and he wants to go see and hear him. However, neither the boy’s father or mother can take him. Along comes an uncle who is going and agrees to take the boy with him.

The boy’s mother will not let him leave without packing him a lunch, five loaves and two fish.

Off they go, and when the disciples go through the crowd looking for food, the boy gladly gives them all that he has. When the five loaves and two fish are placed in Jesus’ hands and blessed, they become more than enough to feed all those present.

For us the lesson is simple. Like the little boy, if we freely give what we have to Jesus, then it will be more than enough to feed everyone. There are those of us that have the food and are willing to give it but need help in getting it to those that need it. There are some of us that don’t have the food but can be the hands and feet of Jesus to get it where the needs to be.

Prayer

Ever present and loving God, help me share your love by freely giving and doing the things that please you.

This devotional was written by Alvin Jenkins and read by Bernice Howard.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.