Feeding the Multitudes

I just finished reading an autobiography of Andre Vandernberg (A Nickle’s Worth of Hope). In the last chapter it is recounted about a time it seemed God was calling him to a new position and he was hesitant to go. He basically got alone with God and told God that there were other people with better qualifications (sounds like Moses!). God showed Andre in his mind the scene where Jesus was about to feed the 5,000 (Matthew 14 actually says that it was 5,000 men and we don’t know the number of women and children). God then asked him, “Do you think the boy who gave the five loaves and two fishes was the only one who had food with him?”

As Andre reflected he realized that out of those thousands there were, very likely, others who had some provisions with them—but the boy was the only one willing to give all he had. The Lord then impressed on Andre that while, indeed, there were others with more qualifications, He wanted him to be like that boy. He told Andre, “. . . it was because that boy was willing to give all that he had that My name was glorified and others were helped.”

We have probably heard the expression, “God doesn’t want our ability, but our availability.” There is a lot of truth to that (which doesn’t say He can’t or won’t use our ability as well!). I don’t know what God has placed on your heart, but I know that He simply wants all that you have. He is more than capable of making up the rest. Early on in my pastoring I struggled deeply with not having seminary, and felt there were others so much more versed in the Bible and Hebrew and Greek, etc. Since then, however, I have come to find that God has used me tremendously when I have simply given Him all I have. All my skill in the world means nothing if it is held in a tight fist, but God can come in and fill in an open hand in the most amazing ways!