02-Feb-2024 – How many loaves do you have?
How many loaves have ye? – Mathew 15:34
Today, God asks us another question with the theme of “Do you have?” This part of the Bible is familiar to many. Once, a large group of people came to listen to Jesus for three days, and they didn’t even think about food. Even after three days, they didn’t ask Jesus for food, but Jesus knew they were hungry. In this situation, Jesus wanted his followers, the disciples, to provide food for the people. However, it’s clear that the disciples didn’t bring any food with them. They came with Jesus and weren’t ready to serve food.
Then comes a question – “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus knew the disciples didn’t have anything, but he wanted to show them a way using loaves. The disciples understood that Jesus meant to check with the crowd and gather whatever loaves they could find. We know there were about 5000 men, but they could only gather 5 loaves at that moment.
Next, Jesus asked them to sit in rows to eat. Now, an important question arises: “Do you have the faith to sit in rows when you know the visible resources are not enough, but you trust God’s guidance to be in position and receive what you need?” Here, the focus is not just on food but on any resource in a given situation.
In our daily lives, we often find ourselves needing help from others, whether it’s money, physical assistance, emotional support, or just someone to be with. Sometimes, these resources may seem scarce or not enough. However, your faithful God, whether through the words you think about, your time in church, or various other means, encourages you to stay confident, assuring that your needs will be taken care of. In these situations that may seem impossible, God wants us to have faith and believe that we will receive from Him.
I can connect this with my own experience in putting together these daily devotionals. I recognized God’s calling in my life several years ago, and by God’s grace, I got involved in various ministries. A few years back, I started a channel to share God’s word. However, I faced challenges in being consistent. On top of that, I was dealing with some issues related to discipline and carried a burden of guilt. Consequently, I lacked the courage, boldness, and strength needed to overcome these challenges and stand firm in my calling.
In 2024, God spoke to me during the watch night service and through New Year messages, empowering me to begin compiling daily devotionals. Regardless of my own struggles, I patiently waited on God and assembled the content as He guided me. Our faithful God continued providing the right word for each day, aligning perfectly with the theme. I want to emphasize, in God’s presence, that I never look for topics based on my theme; instead, I search for the theme from the words given by God.
This experience helps me stand firm on God’s word in various aspects of my life. I hope this brief testimony encourages you. When God asks you, “Do you have?” can you confidently say, “Yes, Lord, I have faith in you?”
Prayer
Dear heavenly Father, I am grateful for your amazing love and faithfulness. You’ve given me a chance to learn to trust you, even in situations that seem impossible. As my loving Father and Creator, you would even create something new to fulfill my needs according to your will. Thank you, and I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!
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