Pastor’s Corner: “Be Multiplied”
Ecclesiastes 11:1 (NKJV) – Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days.
Have you ever stopped trying to do something because you felt you weren’t equipped to handle the task? I certainly have. When I think of how to introduce Jesus to our broken and hurting world that is filled with hatred, sickness, division and suffering, I can become overwhelmed. We want to help end suffering and sickness, eradicate homelessness, stop political discord and media fueled negativity/ division. But then we realize these problems are just too big to solve and we do nothing. We feel inadequate, powerless and helpless. It is not a good feeling. Yet……..God can do amazing things with our weakness, inadequacy and helplessness.
We make the mistake of thinking we have to do it in our strength and power instead of relying on Jesus. So, in that sense we are right to feel helpless. But small steps of faith in the face of big problems can multiply God’s Grace, Power and Love as Jesus touches it and that is exactly what we need right now! Isaiah 60:22 (NLT) – 22 The smallest family will become a thousand people, and the tiniest group will become a mighty nation. At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen.”
So give whatever little you have to God and He will multiply it. If you give God your talent, he’ll multiply your talent. If you give God your energy, he’ll multiply your energy. If you give God your time, he will multiply your time. If you give God your money, he will multiply your money. If you give God your relationships, he will multiply your relationships. Whatever you give to God he will multiply and give it back. Ecclesiastes 11:1 (NKJV) – Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days.
There’s a miracle in the Bible that Jesus did to teach this truth. Five thousand people followed Jesus out in the middle of the desert. He taught them all day, and at the end of the day, they were all hungry. The disciples told Jesus to send them all away. Instead, Jesus told the disciples that they needed to feed the people. I’m sure they swallowed hard on that one. What was he doing? He was testing their faith. He wanted to see if they would depend on him to provide what they needed to feed 5,000 people.
Out of that huge crowd, one little boy had brought a lunch pail, and inside were five little loaves of bread and two dried fish. The little boy brought his lunch to Jesus and said, “Lord, you can have this.” Jesus took the bread and loaves. He prayed and broke it and blessed it and multiplied it. It fed all 5,000 people! There were 5,000 witnesses to this miracle. Not only did the small meal feed 5,000; when they picked up all of the leftovers at the end, there were 12 baskets full of leftover fish and loaves! God always gives you more than you need, more than you anticipate, more than you can imagine. He took what the boy gave Him, He blessed it, He multiplied it and He used it.
Give whatever little you have to God and He will bless it, multiply it and use it!
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton