Luke 9:12,13 – “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.’ 13 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.’”
After a full day of teaching and ministry, the disciples were ready for some down time with Jesus. But Jesus wasn’t finished ministering. The logical thing to do was to send the people away so they could eat and be refreshed. Although Jesus had been teaching the multitudes about the kingdom of God, there was one more lesson that the disciples needed to be taught. This would be invaluable for them when they would turn into itinerant preachers after the resurrection. The lesson? Our need is an opportunity for God’s miraculous provision. Their resources were not enough to meet the needs of the people. And they never are. Not only did the people get fed sufficiently, there was a surplus after the meal was finished.
When you are facing a situation where the need exceeds the resources, look around. There’s a miracle somewhere in the smallest things. Loaves and fish, the two New Testament symbols of Jesus and people. When the two come together anything can happen.