Enough

For the past few years I have asked God to give me a word to focus on from January through December. This simple practice of choosing a word for the year has been very transforming for me. Every year holds so many highs and lows, but what stands out in my mind at the end is how God revealed Himself specially through that one word. This year God gave me the word “enough” as my focus. As our world faces all the fear and uncertainty coming from the Covid-19 pandemic, I find myself needing to cling to this word more than ever.

When I spend time reading my Bible I am reminded again and again that God is the God who provides. He loves His people so deeply and He never fails to meet them in their needs. One of my favorite stories is when Jesus feeds thousands of people. He had just spent the entire day sharing the good news of God’s kingdom with them, and healing those who needed healing. Jesus’ twelve disciples came to Him and suggested He send the crowds home so they could find something to eat. Jesus told the disciples not to send the people away, but to provide for their needs.

I can only imagine how shocked the disciples were when they heard Jesus’ instructions. The Bible tells us there were 5,000 men in the crowd that day. Scholars estimate that with women and children included there were probably more than 15,000 people present. The disciples were not rich people. They often depended on other people’s kindness to meet their daily needs. If I were one of the disciples standing in front of Jesus in this moment, I probably would have told Him, “But Jesus, what you ask is impossible! We do not have enough.”

“Not enough” is not something that stands in the way of our God. Jesus took the little the disciples were able to find, five loaves of bread and two small fish given to them by a boy in the crowd, and He multiplied it. He prayed to God and gave the food to the disciples. Miraculously the food did not run out as they passed it around to the 15,000 people. There were actually 12 whole baskets of food left over after everyone had eaten and was satisfied. The disciples approached Jesus with their lack, and He gave them more than enough.

At a different time in their journey with Jesus, the disciples asked Jesus how to pray. He taught them the prayer which is now known as the Lord’s prayer. In it He prayed to God, “Give us today our daily bread,” (Matthew 6:11). We can trust God to give us what we need for today. We cannot always see what tomorrow will hold or how He will provide for us then, but we can trust Him to take care of us here in this moment.

As you think about this virus and all the ways it is changing what you once considered normal life, what is the “daily bread” you need God to provide? Maybe your prayers sound something like this:

Give me today… the patience I need to love my children and show them kindness.

Give me today… the faith I need to trust you are good.

Give me today… the basic necessities I need to care for myself and my family.

Give me today… peace so I will not become overwhelmed by the uncertainty around me.

Give me today… rest because I am so weary, and I cannot carry on alone.

We can always bring our needs before God. We are His children and He loves us all. He is always listening, and He is standing nearby ready to comfort and strengthen us. This season might hold fear, doubt, and uncertainty. We do not know when this will pass or just how we will be impacted until it does. These things are true, but this season can be marked by something else as well. We can choose to make this a season of trust, hope, compassion for our neighbors, and drawing near to God. We can choose to rely on Him for our daily bread, and discover again and again each day that He is always enough.

We hope you will visit the Music post "Enough" as part of your quiet time with God today and let the music speak to your heart as you grow in your ability to believe that Jesus is enough for you, today and always.

Written by Christina Roberts

Scripture: Luke 9:10-17

When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus what they had done. Then He took them with Him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, but the crowds learned about it and followed Him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing.

Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”

He replied, “You give them something to eat.”

They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” (About five thousand men were there.)

But He said to His disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.