Abundance

Abundance (by David Peterson)

Jesus led His disciples to the city of Bethsaida on the northeast side of the Sea of Galilee. The crowd followed them and at the end of the day they were all hungry. In a miracle found in all four Gospels, Jesus multiplies the food available for all to eat and be filled. In Luke 9:13-14 the record states: But He said to them, “You give them something to eat!” But they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people.” (For there were about five thousand men.) But He said to His disciples, “Have them recline to eat in groups of about fifty each.” As our Lord of abundance, Jesus provides all His followers with physical nourishment.

Pastor Alistair Begg once wrote; “We have sought to circumscribe the ministry of God’s Spirit, despite the fact that it is depicted in terms of two of the most uncontrollable aspects of nature – wind and fire. We have settled for adequacy when God’s purpose for us is abundance.” Begg reminds us that Jesus came to provide abundant life.

Julia H. Johnston wrote the hymn “Feeding the Five Thousand” in 1889. Here is the third verse;

A little lad among them,

His loaves and fishes spared;

But Jesus blessed and broke them,

And all the bounty shared.

With only this provision,

Which Jesus gave away,

They fed the hungry thousands,

Beside the lake that day.

Johnston summarizes the biblical story of Jesus providing food for all people that day.

Let us pray: Christ Jesus, we thank You for all the blessings, of both physical and spiritual nourishment, we have received. Help us to develop an attitude of gratitude and see your abundance in our lives. Amen.