๐ด๐๐ ๐คโ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ฆ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ป๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ , ๐บ๐๐กโ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐๐๐กโ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก. / ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐กโ๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ค๐๐๐ฃ๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐คโ๐๐โ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ๐ ๐คโ๐ โ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐. (John 6:12-13)
Many believers love to read John 6 because of the miracle Jesus performed to feed the crowds. But actually, ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ โ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ โ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐. This section of the Bible gives us a picture of the true gospel, and the process by which both we and the crowds can be satisfied not just by outward miracles, but by eternal life. If we want to have true outreach and gain eternal fruit, we cannot forgo this very process the Lord revealed to His disciples and to us.
โถ ๐ ๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ, ๐ฐ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ. In the beginning of this chapter, the Lord โwent away across the Sea of Galileeโ and โa great crowd followed Himโ because they witnessed physical signs (v. 1-2); what they knew, what they perceived and what they sought was not necessarily the Lord Himself, but the wonders He performed. And what did the Lord do? In verse 3, โJesus went up to the mountain and sat there with His disciples.โ For some reason, throughout His time on the earth, the Lord Jesus never stayed with the crowd, or with the majority. Instead, the Lord chose to go up, making the effort to climb up to higher ground to just โsit thereโ with his disciples. This already indicates that the Lord was looking for something beyond just the earthly realm.
โท ๐๐๐๐จ๐ง๐, ๐ฐ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ซ๐, ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐, ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐. โJesus then lifting up His eyes and seeing that a great crowd was coming toward Him, said to Philip, โWhere shall we buy bread that these may eat?โโ (v. 5). The Lord was testing Philip, even though โHe Himself knew what He was about to doโ (v. 6). The question the Lord asked Philip was seemingly very physical. And Philip answered in a very calculating way: โTwo hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them that each one may take a littleโ (v. 7). Where did this two hundred denarii come from? The Bible doesnโt tell us, but Philip was very clear on the amount of money and quickly made the judgment that what they had was not enough. How often do we do this? ๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐ก๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ, ๐จ๐๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ. How can the church in Toledo feed the whole world? We calculate, and before we even do it, we already give up, knowing it is too much for us. But the Lord already โknew what He was about to do.โ
Then, following Philipโs failure, Andrew comes in to โhelpโ: โOne of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, There is a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are these for so many?โ (v. 8-9). It is interesting that the Bible specifically designates him as Simon Peterโs brother, reminiscent of Peterโs own calculations and failures. A little boy, without name, comes along with five barley loaves and two fish. But in the same way as Philip, Andrew only sees the great need and his own little capacity: โ…but what are these for so many?โ
We are always calculating. We might think we are poor because we never go through the Lordโs hands. We might think something is impossible because we never trust what the Lord asks us to do. The Lord speaks to us, yet we respond with complicated reasoning. When the Lord asks us something, we immediately throw out a standard, religious answer as an excuse. This is the significance of the two hundred denarii and the disciplesโ reasonings.
โธ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ก๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐-๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ, ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ โ ๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐ฏ๐ข๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐. โJesus said, โHave the people recline.โ Now there was much grass in the place. So the men reclined, in number about five thousandโ (v. 10). The reclining is related to the grass โ the โmuch grass.โ Actually, He is the one asking us to recline, and He is the place of much grass; He is our rest. This situation took place around the time of the festival of Passover (v. 4), when, according to Jewish law, you should be preparing and eating the unleavened bread, the lamb and the bitter herbs. But here, the Lord is not concerned with the work of the law, but is simply looking for a place that has much grass โ a place to recline. Actually, the grass appears throughout the Bible as a very specific place of reclining and satisfaction: Davidโs song in Psalm 23 shows us that the Lord put us on green pastures to enjoy Him as the rich supply, and in John 10, Jesus tells us that He is our Shepherd and our door to find pasture. The grass is a very specific condition needed for the people to be released from the sheepfold โ the law โ to the open pastures โ to Him as our rest. Worldly people are often in a very different stage of their life; if they are not reclining โ not hungry โ thereโs no way for the Lord to come in to feed them. But to those who are hungry โ who are reclining โ it is a blessing.
โน ๐๐ก๐๐ง, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐โ๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ฌ. โJesus then took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed to those who were reclining; likewise also of the fish, as much as they wantedโ (v. 11). Phillip had failed and Andrew had failed. And yet โthe Lord took the loavesโ! โLikewise also of the fishโ! The Lord Himself distributed the loaves and fish in a very specific manner. The crowds needed to taste something through the Lordโs hands. Sometimes, when we are in a low condition, we might think we are a nobody brother or sister; we only have two fish and five loaves. How could we feed so many people? But then the Lord takes the bread and the fish and sanctifies it. Other times, when we feel good, we may say, โLord, I can offer something to you.โ But that offering still has to go through the Lord. ๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง๐ค๐ฌ, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ก ๐๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ. We could never imagine that five loaves and two fish could feed five thousand people. Yet it is a mystery! ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ก ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐ฉ๐ก๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐จ๐. ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ก ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐, ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐, ๐ก๐๐ซ๐, ๐ฐ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง๐ค๐ฌ, ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ-๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐.
Then, in between this verse and the next verse, very little is said about the actual miracle. Suddenly, the crowds were filled!
โบ ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ, ๐ฐ๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ซ โ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ง๐๐. โAnd when they were filled, He said to His disciples, Gather the broken pieces left over that nothing may be lostโ (v. 12). What a peculiar thing for the Lord to ask of His disciples! It doesnโt say why we need to pick up the broken pieces, or that the disciples are to eat the broken pieces, or that the broken pieces are for a specific purpose โ that He is hungry or that the disciples still need to eat โ or even what they did with them or where they took them. What do we do with baskets full of broken, leftover food from other people? He doesnโt say. It is mysterious!
If we look at the process of gathering, however, we can see that ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ. Thereโs a detailed record here of instructions the Lord gave to the disciples: gather the leftover, broken pieces that nothing may be lost. Oftentimes we want to complete a great mission for the Lord, but despise the detailed, very specific instructions the Lord gives; we despise the โbroken piecesโ โ the leftovers. This is a very specific interaction the Lord had with his disciples, not with the crowd. Collecting the twelve baskets was a training to the disciples to see something that the Lord did โ not through physical calculations, but in the very process the disciples themselves went through. What an intricate process for the serving ones. We see this in our life of serving, too, when the Lord asks us not just to labor on a physical task, but to thoroughly collect anything left over from the ones being served as our own portion from Him. That is how we pick up all the broken pieces, making sure nothing is lost.
โSo they gathered themโ (v. 13). This short sentence holds another key: after a major work is done or a miracle is performed, we need to listen to what the Lord wants us to do. Sometimes, we just donโt listen. We hear Him, but we donโt follow His exact instructions. But when the disciples followed through with the Lordโs speaking, they โfilled twelve handbasketsโ! From a meager five loaves and two fish came enough to feed five thousand people with twelve baskets left over. What an abundance for the disciples to gather and enjoy! What a bountiful harvest from othersโ leftovers!
Why exactly twelve baskets? In the Bible, twelve is the number of eternity. ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ค๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฉ โ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ค ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ โ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐จ๐๐๐ฒ; ๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฅ, ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ก ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ก๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ. What a beautiful understanding that what we do today is not before man in the physical realm, but before our Lord in the spiritual realm. He has fed the five thousand people, and all that is left for us to do is to gather twelve baskets full. The leftovers, the memories and experiences of life that constitute and fill His serving ones, are what will be gathered unto eternity. Furthermore, the Bible specifically mentions the gathering of the pieces from the barley loaves, but not from the fish, which signify redemption. In the Jewish land, barley is the first to be harvested, typifying the resurrected Christ. Barley has no mixture โ only this very pure, undefiled, regenerated life. Whatโs left over from the true serving is this eternal life, not anything earthly in nature.
๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐จ ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ข๐ โ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ค,โ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ค ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ค ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ, โ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ?โ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ค. The leftovers are from other people’s eating, so unless we go out to feed, there are no leftovers and there is no need for any baskets. But even if we present the best serving, at the end, did we go out to pick up the pieces? Did we do what the Lord asked us to do? If we didnโt, then even if there is physical โfruit,โ there will be no eternal fruit. That is what kills us: we do everything, but when the Lord tells us to go out to gather the broken, leftover pieces, we think we know better and think the work has already been completed. How tragic it will be if we come to the end of the year and we realize our basket is empty. In other words, we are empty. We are coming to the point in our church life that we are insisting that we cannot just do the physical works without following through to the end of that mysterious gathering process. That is the most important piece that the Lord gives. He doesnโt give us explanation, because it is not a matter of what was physically done or the method for how it was done, but rather a matter of eternal life. And when we obey Him, we find we have twelve baskets full unto eternity.
๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐, ๐๐จ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ค ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ? ๐๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ก๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ? ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐จ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ข๐ข ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฅ? One day, our physical world will all disappear; Paul says that our outer man is decaying. But Paul also says that our inner man is being renewed day by day (2 Cor. 4:16)! Our church life has the physical aspect, but even the physical things are not unto the physical world. Ultimately, what remains from our physical life is only the eternal. The remainders are recorded in our eternal memory; there is a recording machine deep inside that will never decay even if our bodies get sick or old. Human beings are very mysterious. When we go through our day, we have to faithfully pick up the leftover pieces; otherwise, why do we go through this earthen living that will perish? We will never forget those moments when we truly engage our life and the people around us with a genuine being, partaking of Him and His supply as our outreach on this earth.
When the physical things are gone, we should have something already picked and gathered, nothing lost. We go through our life today โ the church life โ today and experience a lot of suffering. But the Lord insists that โnothing may be lost.โ Today, we are in the field and have been broken by the world. We are sinful. But the Lord says, โIt is okay. Pick up the pieces, and gather. I ask you to gather these broken pieces for a reason.โ On the Day of Tabernacles, we will go out to gather the baskets โ the real, eternal baskets โ and deposit their contents into the eternal storage house. And that overflow from our earthen leftovers โ those small pieces โ will feed us forever.
Today, we are in the middle of the Lordโs basket. What He is asking of us is beyond our capacity. Our scope needs to be changed. Our concept of the gospel needs to be changed. In many perspectives, we are small, calculating, and unbelieving. We donโt have a resolution to feed five thousand. Our scope is a measly two hundred denarii or a few loaves and fish. But ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐โ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ, ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ โ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐คโ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ญ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ, ๐๐ง๐ฃ๐จ๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง. If we put ourselves into the Lordโs hand and let the Lord bless us, imagine what He can do and supply! If we trust the Lord, why are we barren? The Lord always makes a way for those who are willing to follow His instructions so that He is able to give us the fullness โ the overflow unto eternal memory. No one else can gather for us; the basket has to be ours. In reality, ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ค๐๐ญ๐ฌ! ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ! Thatโs how powerful we can be. Thatโs our gospel…we are the gospel!
(๐ด๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ค๐ โ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐กโ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ 12/18/2020, ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐กโ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.)