Give It To Me and It Will Multiply - A message about Jesus taking a little and making so much more

Have you ever had one of those projects that seemed to get bigger the more you were further along into the project? I have had remodeling projects which seemed to take at least 1/3 longer time than I expected. Then, I've had art projects which seemed to just become bigger and bigger the more invested in it I became.

Similarly, on Sunday, we looked at Jesus receiving a few loaves of bread and some fish to feed a large crowd, in Matthew 15:29-39. He took those few items and turned it into enough to have leftovers. He multiplied what was given to Him. This is the crux of the message for me, the fact that He took little and made much. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

• Magnetically Therapeutic ~ Jesus seemed to always attract crowds to Him. Whether they wanted healing or to hear Him talk or to "set Him up" they wanted to be around Him. There are people that you know who may have that type of personality. Someone who others seem to just want to be around. What qualities did Jesus or others we know have that is so attractive? May we emulate those types of qualities from Jesus and others we know which is attractive. Maybe we can attract them to Jesus!
• Act of Mercy ~ If you compare the feeding of 5,000 to the feeding of 4,000 there will be similarities. One difference to note is that Jesus is the instigator of desiring to feed the people. The people had been with Him for three days and now they were heading home. They didn't have any food left, according to the text, so Jesus takes it upon Himself to provide. He is dishing out mercy on the people. As He will provide for us when we are depleted we can recognize that and be grateful. As God is "rich in mercy" (Ephesians 2:4), it is demonstrated through the acts of Jesus. What an awesome God we serve!
• No Money, No Problem ~ Jesus is the well of abundance. This well may be small in appearance (just one guy) but from it comes forth everything. The disciples seemed to act like the blind that Jesus healed when they were not seeing the possibilities of how this feat was going to be accomplished. They were looking at the "here and now" and also the glass "half empty." You would think they knew they had the "trump card" in Jesus, but their minds took them away from Him and His abilities to the problem and impossibilities. We can be much like that, when we have a problem, we foresee the obstacles more often than the opportunities. When we have a financial setback, do we wonder more about "where the money will come from" or "who will God put in my path which I can show who I am" to? It may change our outlook and may be worth a try.

As Jesus took this small amount of food and turned it into enough to feed around 10,000 people, what will He do with your "small" items? Do you have a "pipe dream" that you see not much possibility in accomplishing? I am guessing the disciples looked out at the crowds with much the same lack of optimism, yet look at what Jesus did in that situation. What will He do in your situation?

Now it's your turn...what "small" thing will you give to Him?

Looking from Another Direction

We are made in a way that we tend to default to seeing things the way we see them and that is all. Our perspective on an issue or matter seems to take precedence over every other kind of perspective. We bring our emotions, experience, prejudices, biases, and views to the situation. It is challenging to see things from another point of view. We may try, sometimes succeed, but oftentimes it is too difficult to succeed.

With all that said, it brings us to this week's quote...

Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant? ~ Henry David Thoreau

Imagine what life would be like if all the non-slaves of the 1800s been affected to see life through the eyes of the slaves. Whether they were from the "South" or the "North" to see life from another standpoint might have changed things - including the Civil War.

As you go into the future, may we tuck this little quote in a file somewhere and use it the next time we are pointing the finger at someone or placing our biases upon them.

Now it's your turn...When have you seen this as a success or a failure?

Miracles Amidst Difficulties

There have been lots of inventions or discoveries due to accidents. When you are looking for something and are recalling the story, you may say "It was the last place I looked". Isn't that kind of a dumb phrase we use? How many are going to find the object, but keep looking other places? Of course it was the last place you looked.

Not too long ago I read how a man was working on a new kind of glue, but the glue was not strong enough to do much. He thought he failed. However, it was strong enough to hold a piece of paper. Hence, what we know as the "Post-It Note" was created. Not planned; complete accident.

Too often we may see the difficulties that come our way as obstacles instead of opportunities. Take Helen Keller, for example, she had her fair share of obstacles, but look at the opportunities that came her way as she pressed on.

As you read this week's quote, I want you to focus on making the good bloom from anything bad...

Out of difficulties grow miracles. ~ Jean De La Bruyere

I really enjoy watching movies where someone goes through difficulties, but then rises to the top at the end. The Ron Clark Story, Glory Road, Hoosiers and Rudy are all on that list. When it seems practically impossible for something to change, it happens, or for a person to succeed, they do.

A movie may not have been made about your life, but I would bet that you've had difficulties in your life which grew a miracle. My wife and I have had that exact thing happen. We were married about eight months before we decided to try to have a child. For the next 8+ years, we were unsuccessful. At times, I had almost given up hope. Then, out of the blue, my wife notices that she is having symptoms that do not seem right. Upon getting a test, then two, then three, then four, and, then, five, (plus going to the doctor), we came to the understanding that we were going to have a baby!!! It was a great day...better than great!

What about your individual life? What is there that you are having a difficult time achieving? That may be exactly what is going to be the next miracle...don't give up on it...wait for it and keep working toward it!

Anticipating the next miracle...

Doing the Tough Jobs - With Enthusiasm

We all have those jobs we dread. Whether they are jobs that are around the house or at our workplace, we may hold off doing them until we absolutely have to or until someone else does them. Then there are the tough jobs, the ones that seem utterly impossible to accomplish. Sometimes we lump tough jobs in with dreaded jobs. However, they aren't always the case.

Think back to a group of men who were asked to feed all the people who came to the "revival". Jesus said that they were going to feed them. However, the disciples looked around and asked, "How?" Jesus took a boys small bit of food and made more food out of it than what you see at any restaurants buffet, at any given time. The feeding of 5,000 men (plus women and children) seemed impossible. Actually it was. But a miracle happened...which leads us to this week's quote...

When we accept tough jobs as a challenge and wade into them with joy and enthusiasm, miracles can happen. ~ Arland Gilbert

This may be hard to see sometimes because we are clouded by the toughness and overlooking the possibility. Maybe it is tough to get along with someone at work, your spouse, or other family member. Maybe it is tough to share the joy you have in your faith with others. No matter the situation, you look at it with this "we're-going-to-feed-all-these-people-how?" kind of attitude.

May you start looking at more tough jobs with envisioning the outcome instead of seeing it as it is before you tackle the issue. Remember, God makes miracles out of that which is mind-boggling.

Have a "joy and enthusiasm" filled week!

Anxious to see today's "miracle"...

E-mail Encouragement: Be the "Miracle"!

Whose life did you make a difference in yesterday (or today)? Did it make you think? Or, who did you cause to become one step closer to Jesus? Hopefully you have a name of someone – even if you have to think about the events of the day. If you just can’t think of anyone, then the next question is “Why didn’t you make a difference or bring someone closer?” Maybe it was because you didn’t think about it or you possibly didn’t have a chance to. These thoughts were stirred from this week’s quote…

Instead of looking for a miracle in your life, look to see if you are the miracle in someone else's life. ~ Nola Rohde Vollmer

What a great statement! We, oftentimes, have a consumer mindset, and it causes us to “look for a miracle” instead of “being” a miracle.

Keep in the forefront of your thoughts when you are around someone to help them to be one step closer to Jesus (which does not always mean salvation).

Have a great rest of your week!

Be the “miracle”!!!

Searching for someone who needs a “miracle”...