Empty Baskets
By Elin Henderson
“And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish,
By Elin Henderson
“And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish,
as much as they wanted.”
John 6:11 (NKJV)
John 6:11 (NKJV)
This is such a familiar story to so
many of us, the feeding of the 5,000 (plus). Far beyond being a simple story,
it is such a beautiful picture of our relationship with our Savior and our need
to go to Him for our own needs and the needs of others. The disciples were
given a task beyond their capabilities. To feed a crowd of 5,000 plus is no
small job! They brought their meager provisions before the Master realizing the
insufficiency of them and He supplied above and beyond that which they could
ask or think. It was the hands and feet of the disciples that got the bread to
the needy people. Jesus was there as the provider.
Now, perhaps I am taking some spiritual and scriptural license here, but I wonder how the disciples carried the food to the people! Obviously, 12 men could not carry enough bread and fish to feed over 5,000 hungry people. Because baskets are mentioned, I am going to assume they used those. They took what they could, went to as many people as they could and then did what? When the supply they had ran out and their baskets were empty, did they try to start fabricating more bread and fish on their own? No, I’m imagining they went back to the Master for more provisions! They knew where the source was!
Many times our Master gives us the provision to reach out to a hungry and needy world around us. Our sufficiency just isn’t enough! We can’t come up with a plan, let alone the provision to meet the need. He gives us all we need, equips and provides for us, and asks us to be His hands and feet to go and meet the needs of others. But, like the Israelites in the wilderness gathering just enough manna for that day (any more would have just gone bad), our Master gives us just what we need for that day and asks us to come to Him when that runs out. Like the disciples, may we take our empty baskets to the Master and ask Him to fill them and equip us for reaching out to the lost world in which we live and work. And, when our manna runs out, may we immediately return to the source, stock up and set out again!
GOING DEEPER:
1. What task has the Lord laid on your heart? In what ways has He asked you to be His hands and feet? Where are you going for the provision for that task?
FURTHER READING:
Philippians 4:19; Colossians 1:29
Now, perhaps I am taking some spiritual and scriptural license here, but I wonder how the disciples carried the food to the people! Obviously, 12 men could not carry enough bread and fish to feed over 5,000 hungry people. Because baskets are mentioned, I am going to assume they used those. They took what they could, went to as many people as they could and then did what? When the supply they had ran out and their baskets were empty, did they try to start fabricating more bread and fish on their own? No, I’m imagining they went back to the Master for more provisions! They knew where the source was!
Many times our Master gives us the provision to reach out to a hungry and needy world around us. Our sufficiency just isn’t enough! We can’t come up with a plan, let alone the provision to meet the need. He gives us all we need, equips and provides for us, and asks us to be His hands and feet to go and meet the needs of others. But, like the Israelites in the wilderness gathering just enough manna for that day (any more would have just gone bad), our Master gives us just what we need for that day and asks us to come to Him when that runs out. Like the disciples, may we take our empty baskets to the Master and ask Him to fill them and equip us for reaching out to the lost world in which we live and work. And, when our manna runs out, may we immediately return to the source, stock up and set out again!
GOING DEEPER:
1. What task has the Lord laid on your heart? In what ways has He asked you to be His hands and feet? Where are you going for the provision for that task?
FURTHER READING:
Philippians 4:19; Colossians 1:29
Oakwood’s missionaries Elin
Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as church planters
with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa. Elin is mother to
fourteen-year-old Callie and twelve-year-old Elias.
