Today’s Verse—Matthew 19:26
With God, all things are possible.
Imagine that you walked into your school cafeteria one day and found out that all the cooks had gone on strike. There was no food—for anyone. Hundreds of kids and teachers with growling stomachs hunted around for food, but they found nothing. And craziest of all, you were the only one who brought lunch that day. A turkey sandwich and an apple. As you unwrapped your sandwich, everyone watched you hungrily. You wondered what to do. You could probably split your lunch with one of your friends, but there would still be a lot more kids who needed something to eat. Now imagine what it would be like if you started dividing up your sandwich and cutting your apple, and the food never ran out! You’d be able to feed the entire school with only your small lunch and still have some left over.
That must have been how the young boy felt in John 6, when Jesus fed a crowd of thousands with only his small lunch of fish and bread.
When you give Jesus something—your time or your talent or your willingness to do something He wants you to do—He can use it to do miraculous things, way beyond what you could do on your own. Sometimes it may be hard to do what God wants you to do. That little boy might have hesitated to hand over his lunch box—he was hungry! But when he gave Jesus his lunch, Jesus used it in a miraculous way.
Is God asking you to do something? Maybe it’s talking to an unpopular kid at school, and you feel nervous about it. Or maybe it’s giving money to your church. Or raking the yard of an older neighbor. Whatever it is, God can use even the smallest gift you offer Him and do something amazing with it.
Loquacious Learning with Eugene
Even though Jesus’ miracle in John 6 is often called “The Feeding of the Five Thousand,” that refers only to the number of men who had gathered to hear Jesus teach. Many scholars believe that the number of people Jesus actually fed that day was closer to twenty thousand, including women and children!
Daily Challenge
Think of a chore you can do for someone or an amount of money you can give to God this week. Tell your family members so they can remind you of your decision.
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Learning About Jesus Theme Memory Verse—John 8:12
[Jesus] said, “I am the light of the world. Those who follow me will never walk in darkness. They will have the light that leads to life.”