I bought a sign at Hobby Lobby that says, “If you feed them, they will come.” I hung it in my kitchen right away. Because I have boys. And they’re always hungry. If I want them to come on the first call, food has to be involved. Breakfast ready? They come running. Lunch being served? They sprint. Who wants a snack? They push each other out of the way to get there. Wash your hands for dinner? It’s a stampede to the table. I’m also not above using food as bribery. Hey, it works. If I feed them, they will come….Running.
The Fishes and Loaves story we read about in the Bible (John 6:1-14) has several gold nuggets of wisdom. One is that Jesus fed the people who came to Him. After all, He was a dude. He was no stranger to the comfort of a full belly. He knew hungry people needed to eat. Sure, no man can live on bread alone (Deuteronomy 8:3), but I’m guessing He also knew they would listen more intently if their tummies weren’t growling. Do you think Maslow invented the hierarchy of needs? Let’s just say, he wasn’t the first to know the importance of basic needs being met. Jesus wanted to prove God’s willingness to not only provide but supply more than what was needed. Remember the basket of leftover fish and bread after the thousands of people were stuffed full? Yeah, me too. It’s my favorite part.
Once I was smack dab in the middle of a modern day Fishes and Loaves story in a small village in Africa. We weren’t handing out fish and bread, we were handing out shoes to children who wandered their way through the fields to us. There weren’t enough shoes for all the barefoot children who had formed a line. I knew because I was the one who had counted and packed the boxes of shoes. I could easily do the math by looking at the children in line. I was overwhelmed at the thought of turning away so many without shoes. Suddenly, I realized the last child walked away with shoes in hand. Everyone received shoes. Everyone. And just in true Fishes and Loaves form, there were two extra pairs of shoes left in the box. They happened to be the exact sizes of the two adult volunteers helping us that day.
Mind Blown.
God still does big time, jaw-dropping, wouldn’t- believe-it-if-you-weren’t-there-miracles today. God still knows our basic needs matter in the grand scheme of our struggles in life. God still provides more than we need by giving us extra. He knows we can’t live on bread alone, but also knows how to feed us in every way possible.
If you are in need of a miracle today, be encouraged! He is still in the miracle business. He never stopped. If you run to Him, He will feed you. Will you go? Will you walk or run when He calls? Listen closely. He is calling.
Beth Brinkmeyer 