(John 6:11) 1 November 2017
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.
NKJV
The verse above has been taken from the account of how Jesus fed more than five thousand people from a few little fish and loaves. It holds keys we all need, to move into the next level of miracle supply.
It is so significant that Jesus lifted up the bread and fish and gave thanks to God. If I was standing in front of thousands of hungry and expectant people holding those five little barley loaves and two small fish in my hands, I probably would have been really feeling the pressure. Not Jesus! He knew exactly where this was going. Faced with what could have been an overwhelming need, He set His eyes on heaven, lifted up that tiny quantity of food, and gave thanks to God. Jesus did not despise that little bit of food and brush it off as insignificant and inadequate (as His disciples did in John 6:8). There was a big need, but He saw this as His seed. He offered it up and thanked God for it! There are needs in all our lives, some really big, and we may be looking for a specific size or kind of answer from God, when He has already provided in His way. It may be in seed form, or in the early stages of growth and may not look like what we are expecting, but it is given to us for the ultimate fulfillment of the need we face. There is something we could begin doing with it: we can begin to value it as a precious gift from God, and begin to be truly thankful (out loud!) to our Father for His provision. Our miracle of increase begins to be released as we allow the Holy Spirit to show us the present and potential value and worth of what is in our hands, and we express our gratitude to God. Jesus valued the little offering that was brought to Him. He knew that those simple little items of food held the potential for infinite, miraculous expansion in His hands and He sincerely thanked His Father.
Once Jesus had given thanks to God for the food in His hands, He began to break pieces off the little loaves of bread and pass them on to His disciples, and He did the same with the fish. It started a miraculous cycle of increase so that whenever a piece was broken off, it did not reduce the existing amount of bread or fish, but increased it, many times over. As He passed a piece to His disciples, and each man broke a further piece and passed it on, the anointing for replenishment flowed, and the miracle progressed. Then, as each person who received began to break a piece and pass it on, the miracle of increase picked up momentum and there was more and more produced. Finally, when all had been fully fed, there was much more bread and fish than when they started out! This message can be summarized in one word: ‘Thanksgiving’ , which is thanking God, and giving the blessing on to those who need it as much as we do.
It delights the Father when we are grateful, and when we see something we can be thankful for in every situation. It blesses His heart when we have something we badly need but we trust Him enough to release it freely into the life of another. Jesus is all about giving. He gave His life for you and me. He took on humanity’s bondage that we might be free!
“My child, today I release my kiss of joy into your heart, a new joy to help you through this season in your life. You have faced many challenges well, and I am so pleased with you. Now I am enabling you to rejoice and to be thankful in every situation. I am enabling you to truly trust in Me, and to release every care and burden on to Me. I sometimes let you face big needs so that you will learn to lean on Me but always remember that your provision comes from Me. Today I have given you keys to bring you into your miracle and keep you free. There is an anointing for replenishment and increase which is beginning to flow. There is exceeding abundance and a season of radical ‘more than enough’ awaiting you as you praise and thank Me, and release it all to Me. I am making it easy! I am with you and I will never leave you, you will see.”
Be blessed dear friend, and get ready for a new and abundant season. Offer up your “little” to Jesus with a thankful heart, and see Him give it back to you multiplied and running over. You are loved and highly favored!
Jesus spoke these words when His disciples all marveled that a fruitless fig tree withered away at the word of Jesus. He is speaking the same to us today as He calls each of us to look at our lives and take decisive steps towards the fulfillment of His promises.
