“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:9)

Food is life, and our lives revolve around it. Practically the first thing that happens to us upon birth is our mothers nurse us. We like to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We serve food at major life milestones: birthday parties, wedding receptions, baby showers, memorial services. We have friends over for dinner, and we have food at many church events, too. I can confirm that my small group has the best snacks. :) 

What if you don’t have enough food?

Food insecurity is a real thing, and it’s happening right here in Chatham county. Our local elementary schools participate in what’s called the “backpack program,” which sends food home on Fridays with kids who need it to have enough to eat over the weekend or longer school breaks. CORA food pantry supports families in our community as well, and both programs are funded via donations.

I’ve had the privilege of volunteering with both programs, and it’s humbling to see the amazing things they accomplish on behalf of kids and families in our county. Each time I pack a box or bag of food, I pray that God would multiply it. Let every meal and every snack be enough to fill hungry tummies, let it be nourishing to the kids that would consume it, and let it bring peace to young minds who might worry about where their next meal comes from.

Jesus was followed up a mountainside by thousands of people, and as it got late in the day they needed to be fed. His disciples brought him the meager lunch of a little boy, Jesus capital “B” Blessed it, and the two fish and five small loaves fed the entire crowd with leftovers to spare. Can you imagine trying to feed the entire town of Pittsboro with only one Tender Supreme Combo™ from Bojangles? 

On the mountain Jesus cared for the people’s physical needs and began laying the foundation of what he will tell them later in this chapter: “I am the Bread of Life.” He not only cares about our physical needs, but He is more than capable of providing for them. He is the source of Life.

Turns out it’s not the size of our resources that’s most important, but in whose hands we place them.

Have you ever been low on resources? Whether it be food, money, time, skills...how did experiencing scarcity make you feel? You can trust Him to take care of you in every way!

If you’d like to read or re-read the overview/summary of this week’s passage, you can find it here.