Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?” (John 6: 8-9).
In our Focal Scripture, Andrew told Jesus about a boy in their midst who had five loaves of bread and two fishes. Those five loaves of bread and two fishes later fed the multitude; so, what Jesus needed to feed the multitude was already around Him. The solution was already around. The idea and open door that was needed to make progress were already available. As Andrew put it, “There is a lad here”.
Friend, what you need for what God is about to do in your life, is here. There are people you know right now that God will use to take you higher; there are ideas, resources, opportunities, abilities, capacities, relationships, people, things, ideas, phone numbers, etc within your reach that God will use to distinguish you in destiny
Andrew imagined that the five loaves of bread and two fishes won’t make a difference, but in the end, they made a huge difference. God says, what you have around you might seem small, but it will make a difference. Your ideas, abilities, capacities, knowledge, opportunities, relationships, etc might seem negligible, but they will make a huge difference in your life.
Ask God to open your eyes to see what you already have around you; ask Him to show you the resources, hidden opportunities, skills, abilities, relationships, contacts, etc around you that will distinguish you.
Don’t neglect what you already have in your hands. What you have may not be enough, but it is God’s tool to move you forward in destiny.
Prayer:
Lord, open my eyes to see what I already have, in Jesus’ name!
There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes…” (John 6: 9).
Within the multitude that Jesus needed to feed, there was a boy with five loaves of bread and two fishes. The number ‘five’, according to biblical numerology, is the number of grace. So, that boy was a carrier of ‘grace’; he may have been young and underrated, but he had resources that would feed a multitude.
Friend, God says, you are a carrier of grace. Grace will make great things happen in your destiny; the grace you carry will make great exploits happen through you; God’s grace on your life will make the impossible to be possible. God’s grace in your life will attract the attention of multitudes. God’s grace will distinguish you among the multitudes around you.
Some people may hate or underrate you, but grace will speak for you. You may not be qualified but Grace will qualify you; you may not be what they want but grace will make you what they want. You may look small in the eyes of men, but grace will make great things happen in you and around you. Grace will spot you for the spotlight.
That young lad also had two fishes. ‘Two’, according to biblical numerology, stands for agreement. So, he carried ‘grace’, and he also ‘agreed’ with the ‘grace’ he carried. Agree with the grace you carry; agree with what God can do for you and through you; agree that impossibilities will be possible; agree that new doors will be opened; agree that God will soon distinguish you.
The five loaves and two fishes were enough to feed the multitudes. The grace, and the agreement with grace, was enough to create an unlikely miracle. Agree with God’s grace on your life and watch God do the impossible and the unimaginable.
John 1: 16 says: “And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.”
Prayer:
Lord, I agree with Your Grace on my life, in Jesus’ name!
And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. …So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.” (John 6: 10).
Before Jesus fed the multitude, He instructed them to sit down. The miracle was yet to happen, Divine provision was yet to be made manifest, something special and supernatural was about to happen, and Jesus instructed the men to sit down.
Sitting is a position of relaxation. So, Jesus asked the men to relax. They were not to relax after the feast; they needed to relax before the miracle; they needed to relax before divine intervention.
Friend, God says, RELAX. Your miracles and breakthroughs may not have happened, the favors you desire may not have been granted, your prayers may not have been answered, your next level may be far from where you are now, your promotion may not be within sight, your marriage may be on the brink of collapse, you may be in dire need of divine intervention, but God says, RELAX.
Jesus already knew what to do about the hungry multitude, and there was no need for them to be worked up. God already knows what to do about your circumstances, and you have no need to lose sleep. God is already in charge of everything around you, and you have no need to fear or doubt.
Those men sat down, and they were fed. They relaxed and God met their needs. As you relax, God will meet your needs, your fears and troubles will fizzle out, your travails will turn to triumph, your losses will turn to gain, your lack will turn to abundance, and you will attract Divine attention and intervention.
If you fail to relax, you might drain yourself of the energy you need to enjoy God’s package for you. Just relax: God is in charge!
In John 14 vs. 1, Jesus says: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.”
Prayer:
Lord, I choose to relax; You are in charge, in Jesus’ name!
And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.” (John 6: 11).
When Jesus took the loaves and fishes, He gave thanks. He had five loaves of bread and two fishes, with a multitude to feed, but He gave thanks. What He had was small compared to what He needed, His supply was below the demand, but He gave thanks. The inadequacy of what He had, and the fact that He needed more didn’t stop Him from giving thanks.
After giving thanks, Jesus fed the multitude with bread and fish. After giving thanks, He used what He had and it was enough to meet the need. He was grateful for the little He had, and that little achieved more than anyone imagined. Jesus didn’t reject the loaves and fishes because they were few; He was grateful, and gratitude led to multiplication.
Friend, like Jesus, shows gratitude. Be grateful for what you have; be grateful for what God has done for you; be grateful for the breath in your nostrils and for the gift of life; be grateful for God’s blessings on your life, no matter how inadequate they are; be grateful for the favors God has shown you; show gratitude to God.
It’s not enough to be grateful to God; also be grateful to any man that has done you a favor. Show gratitude even when what you received is negligible; show gratitude for both the big and small favors; be grateful for every help you receive. Show gratitude even when you need more. Let your gratitude transcend what you received.
Your gratitude will prepare the grounds for multiplication. Your gratitude will give you more than enough.
Prayer:
Lord, give me a heart of gratitude; I’m grateful for what You have given me Lord, in Jesus’ name!.
“and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.” (John 6: 11).
In our Focal Scripture, Jesus gave loaves and fishes to His disciples, who gave to the multitude. He established a connection with His disciples, and when they received loaves and fishes from Him, they fed the multitude. The multitude connected to Jesus’ disciples and they got fed; they connected to men who had been with Jesus, and their needs were supplied.
Friend, connect to men who are connected to Jesus; connect to people who have a relationship with God; connect to Pastors and Ministers who have regular encounters with God; connect to believers whose lives burn with the fire of God; connect to people who have a deep-seated hunger for God’s word; connect to people who have a passion for prayer; maintain positive connections with those who are steadfast and fervent in their faith and confidence in God.
The multitude connected to Jesus’ disciples, and they got what they wanted; they connected to men who were divine channels, and they were satisfied. If you stay connected to people who are connected to God, God will release His grace and satisfy you through them. When you walk in the company of men whose faith and trust in God is unshaken, they will rub off positively on you.
Review your relationships. Who are you connected to or relating with? Who do you spend most of your time with? One thing is certain: whoever you are connected to will rub off on you, positively or negatively.
Look through your relationship circle, and know those to renew, review or remove; if your best option is to remove, disconnect from them.
Prayer:
Lord, help me to connect to men who are connected to You, in Jesus’ name!.
“When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.” (John 6: 12).
When the multitude was done eating, Jesus instructed His disciples to gather the fragments. The fragments were broken pieces of bread and fish; they were no longer whole; they were in little bits; they were crumbs that fell as the multitude fed; they could have been ignored or explained away.
These fragments eventually filled twelve baskets. They came in bits, they seemed negligible and inconsequential as they were gathered, it wasn’t exciting to gather the fragments, but the fragments later became bigger than the five loaves and two fish that Jesus started with.
Friend, are there fragments you can see around you? Are there little opportunities, favors, mercies, blessings, etc that God is bestowing on you as each new day unfolds? Are there little miracles and breakthroughs that do not look gigantic as they come? Does it seem that God is blessing you in bits with packages that seem like broken pieces?
Today, God says, gather your fragments. Take up every small package that God has brought your way; take the small opportunities; take and appreciate the small favors; take the little offers; utilize the negligible chances that God is bringing to you; use the little ideas you have; use your skills and abilities, no matter how inconsequential they seem. God’s package for you may come in bits and pieces, but just take them.
If you keep gathering your fragments, soon, your baskets will be full, and your cup will run over. If you take the blessings of God as they come, soon, your testimonies will be many.
The fragments may seem small, but they can fill your baskets if you keep gathering them.
Prayer:
Lord, I will gather my broken pieces, may they fill my baskets, in Jesus’ name!.