Give Them Something to Eat

Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

Matthew 14:16

While I was serving as the fellowship prayer coordinator in the University. We were preparing for a programme called Academic Summit, it was the first of its kind and the most capital intensive project of our time, yet all we had was a vision. We had invited dignitaries in the media space and booked one of the most expensive halls in University of Lagos, Nigeria. We did it all by faith. 

As the event date approached however, reality began to set in. Vendors asking for advance payments and all we could respond with were promises. Twenty four hours to the event and we hadn’t even paid for the hall. I remember that evening, we called a meeting of all fellowship executives and I watched as people were closing their accounts, some selling shoes and bags for pennies just to raise money. Although the total money realised was a far cry from the money needed but it was our five loaves and two fishes, it was our way of partnering with God. 

This was similar to what Jesus had asked his disciples to do. They came to him with a recommendation during one of his teaching sessions to a crowd of destitute people.  As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Instead of Jesus thanking them for such a strategic solution, he said to them “…They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” This seemingly impossible task became an invitation for the disciples to participate in a miracle.

The disciples’ initial instinct to send the crowd away mirrors our tendency to avoid daunting problems. However, Jesus’ words echo through time, inviting us to actively participate in His miraculous solutions. Like the disciples, we may feel inadequately equipped, but God often uses the little we have to perform extraordinary feats.

When we respond to God’s call with faith, offering what little we have, He transforms our efforts into miracles. Our participation becomes a conduit for His divine intervention, demonstrating that the seemingly impossible is within reach when we partner with God in unwavering faith. If you’re wondering how you can partner with God, start by praying about the challenge, take steps that are humanly possible and leave the impossible for God.

PRAYER