And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.
Matthew 15:34-37
Twice during His ministry Jesus fed huge crowds of people with tiny amounts of food, working a miracle to multiply what was placed in His hands to completely meet the need. In both cases, there was more than enough for everyone to eat all they wanted and still have plenty left over. This is just one more reminder to us of the power of our great and loving Father.
God never has “just enough.” He never calls for help or digs into an emergency fund to supply for His children. He is all-powerful without any limits on what He can do. That precious truth should be a great comfort to us when we face the challenges and trials of life. The seventeenth-century English pastor Jeremy Taylor wrote, “It is impossible for that man to despair who remembers that his Helper is omnipotent.”
Amazingly, even after we have seen God’s power again and again, we can easily lose sight of what He is truly able to do. The disciples had that experience when they set sail with Jesus having forgotten to take food for the trip. Jesus rebuked them for failing to trust His power and ability to provide. “And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?” (Mark 8:16-17). The fact that we may be facing a great need does not mean that God is unable or unwilling to help us as we ask for His assistance.
