Inadequate Resources

Mark 6:30-44 (New International Version)
30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."

32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.

35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late. 36 Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat."

37 But he answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?" 38 "How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five-and two fish."

39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

It’s quite interesting to recall from this story that there wasn't any hesitation here about feeding the crowd -Jesus simply gave the job to His disciples to do! They would have really struggled with this. They were hungry too, because even they hadn’t found the time to eat (verse 31). They simply didn't have the resources to feed themselves, let alone the crowd. And Jesus knew it... The disciples' reaction was a common one, a human one. To give up. It's hopeless. It can’t be done, make them go away (verse 36).

Being a disciple will often lead us into situations where we don’t have the means to meet a particular need -however, He tells us to trust Him, and to do it anyway.

Do you, like me, sometimes feel overwhelmed with your current circumstances? Then take a tip from the disciples. Let Go and Let God. Let Him do His work. Focus on God, not on the problem. He has the resources that you lack; He can take the little that you have and make it a lot.

“God’s work, done in God’s way never lacks God’s resources.” - J Hudson Taylor