God's Control in the Big and Small

Scripture: When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here." But He said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people." Luke 9:12-13

Observation: The feeding of the 5,000 begins with this exchange - the disciples recognizing the practical impossibility of feeding so many people, Jesus ordering them to do it anyway, and them raising the reality of their situation. We know what happens next. Jesus uses the meager supplies to fill everyone and in the end more is left over than they even began with.

However, there is a context here often missed. These entire affair began as a small retreat with just Jesus and the 12 disciples, debriefing on their recent independent travels. They were telling Jesus of all that had happened. If we look back, we see that in the instructions for their mission they were told ... take no supplies, no food, no money, not even a change of clothes, and simply expect others to supply for you. The disciples return effectively with the message that "it worked!"

In other words, the disciples have just personally spent a prolonged period with no provisions at all, had everything provided for them, yet right away they can't figure out how God will provide such provisions for this multitude. The lesson is in the misperception of the Lord's power. The disciples believe that feeding a large group with limited supplies is a miracle, yet feeding them every single day over and over and over while they travel with literally nothing but the one shirt on their backs ... was just the normal.

These events are directly connected to tell a different reality: God is in control of everything we need, no matter if it's ordinary daily living, or a huge task, and when we have placed our faith in the Lord for those daily needs, we will learn to see his mighty work in everything else.

Application: We are in a unique time in the history of the world, and it is a time where the huge and overwhelming issue has impacted the ordinary, daily living of every person on earth. As Christians, we are praying to see God's amazing work in the huge event ... to see Jesus discovered by a world who is now forced to give up the false hopes they have in every element of modern society, and consider a different truth. This is also a chance for us to trust God for our everyday needs. He provides our daily meals, our safety at home, our continued health or healing, and even they technology we have in this age to no feel so isolated.

Jesus teaches us that these are one and the same. The miraculous outcome of worldwide pandemic, and the daily opportunity to eat a couple meals while we video chat with family and friends and coworkers, are in fact the provision of the same power, the same love, the same mercy, the same justice, the same hope, the same faith, the same spirit, the same authority, the same plan.

The Lord oversees my family while he commands the fate of nations. It is all born from his love, and his authority.

Prayer: Jesus, you taught us to pray even in this same model. You taught us to pray for the small need of our daily bread, and for the great vision of the kingdom of God coming to the entire earth. These are both your desires for our lives. I thank you for being in full control of my household, and in full control of all mankind, during this time of strangeness and insecurity. I am stressed, but I do not fear, for I know the plans you have for me and for mankind. Thy kingdom come. Amen.