21 Days: Day 4

Devotional:Welcome back to another day of 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. Throughout these 21 days, we’re looking at all the ways that God is a provider in our lives - and I believe that He provides in abundance. Today, we will be looking at Matthew 14, where Jesus is speaking to a large crowd of 5000 men, plus women and children. As He is speaking, His disciples become worried that it’s getting late and the crowd is going to get hungry, so they tell Jesus to send the crowd away. But in Matthew 14:16, Jesus says “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat”. His disciples responded “we have only five loaves of bread and two fish…” Vs 18 “Bring them here to me”, and He directed the people to sit in the grass. Taking the five loaves of bread and two fish and looking up to Heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to His disciples, and His disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.I don’t know if you’ve ever felt like you didn’t have enough—enough strength, enough time, enough resources? The story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 reminds us that God’s provision is never limited by what we lack.The disciples responded to Jesus with what they saw—a few loaves of bread and two fish. It clearly wasn’t enough. But Jesus took what they had, blessed it, and began to distribute it. Not only did everyone eat, but there were 12 baskets of leftovers.Here’s the truth: God doesn’t ask for what you don’t have—He asks for what you do have. It might feel small or insignificant, but in His hands, it’s always more than enough.I’ve been experiencing this in a deeply personal way as we are nearing the last weeks of a pregnancy where we’ve been walking through the uncertainty of knowing our baby has multiple heart defects and will need surgery and a long hospital stay after birth. The weight of that uncertainty has been overwhelming—financially, emotionally, and spiritually. My family is about to experience some really difficult things, and I have often been feeling like I have nothing left to give: not enough strength, not enough answers, not enough time, not enough faith. Not enough left of myself to give to my husband, my kids, my job, my friends, or God. It’s just not enough.But in this season, God has been gently reminding me to offer what I do have, even if it feels small. Some days, I feel like all I can give is a whispered prayer or a tearful “yes” to the next step. And over and over again, He has met me there—with peace I couldn’t explain, strength I didn’t think I had, and support from people in ways I never expected. It has not been easy, but somehow, there has always been enough—and often, more than enough—to get through each day.This story of Jesus feeding the 5000 reminds us that:God sees our needs. Before anyone asked, Jesus already had a plan to feed the people.God uses what we offer. Five loaves of bread and two fish wasn’t much, but when placed in Jesus’ hands, it multiplied. God provides abundantly. Everyone ate until they were full—and there was more left over.So today, whatever your need—whether it’s financial, emotional, spiritual—remember that God is your provider. He can take your “not enough” and turn it into “more than enough.” Trust Him with what you have, and watch what He can do.Prayer:Father, thank You that You are a faithful provider. Help me to trust You with what I have, no matter how small it seems. I believe You can multiply it for Your glory. Remind me that in Your hands, there is always more than enough. In Jesus’ name, amen.