My oldest son, Kyle was coming down to visit. I decided to make chili using a family recipe he likes. I went into the freezer and realized I did not have enough ground beef for the recipe. My eyes surveyed the freezer and I noticed I had enough ground turkey, but I knew if I used that for the recipe it would take away from the flavor we were used to and liked so much.

I wrestled with what to do. I kept looking at the ground beef and all I could see was that it wasn’t enough. I sensed the Holy Spirit nudging me to use the ground beef, encouraging me that He would make it enough.

“Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself; and when the people heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities. When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, “This place is desolate and the hour is already late; so send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.”  But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!”  They *said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”  And He said, “Bring them here to Me.” Ordering the people to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds, and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up what was leftover of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets. There were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children.” Matthew 14:13-21

Here we see Jesus with this crowd. It is getting late and the disciples think it is time to send them on their way so they can get food for themselves. However, Jesus has a different plan. He tells the disciples the people don’t need to leave and they can feed them.

I try and picture the disciples' reaction. They are looking at the five loaves and two fish, thinking to themselves that there is no way that will feed these 5,000 people. Share on X

Jesus has them bring Him the food. He looks up towards Heaven and blesses the food. 

The disciples take it and begin feeding the people. All those people ate and were satisfied. They didn’t just take a little and pass it on, they ate well and were satisfied. On top of that, there were 12 baskets of leftovers. 

Do you ever see a situation or circumstance and when you look at what you have to give, you say, "This will never be enough."? Share on X

Jesus says bring it to me. He wants us to bring what we have to Him and look towards Heaven. He will make it enough.

I find it interesting that Jesus told the disciples that they were going to feed the crowd. They brought what they had to Jesus and God made it enough. Then the disciples fed the crowd.

This is powerful to me. 

He is enough for me, He is enough for you. He is enough for every circumstance and situation we find ourselves in. If we will bring what we have to Him and look towards Heaven. He will make it enough.

I put the ground beef in my chili. It was not enough for the recipe. I prayed about what to do.  I questioned whether I should do things my way and make it enough with the ground turkey, even though the outcome would be very different or whether I would trust the leading of the Holy Spirit and put in the ground beef?  

Sometimes we try and make what we have enough. We work in our own strength and energy to make it what it should be, but we often end up with a very different outcome on the other side.  Share on X

Sometimes we want people and circumstances to go away and work things out on their own, but Jesus says they don’t need to go away. You need to feed them.

Let’s bring our 5 loaves and 2 fish to Jesus today. May we look up towards Heaven and watch how God makes our not enough, be enough. Not only will others be blessed but we will too, as we watch Jesus do a miracle inside of us through the process.