God of Abundance

Text: Luke 9:17
And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces. (NRSV)

I think most people would be able to identify this passage as the end of the “Feeding of the Five Thousand” from Luke’s Gospel.  Jesus has been teaching out in a deserted place and it is getting late.  The disciples “suggest” to Jesus that he send the crowd away so that the people can get something to eat.  Jesus says, “You give them something to eat.”  The disciples respond with excuses about not having enough and how much it would take to get supplies for this number of people.  Of course, the end of the story is that Jesus takes what is readily available at hand and the crowds are indeed feed and there are even leftovers.

How many times do I come to God with scarcity thinking when our God is the God of abundance?  I seem to be always looking at how little we have, and God is always showing me how much he provides.  This is one more lesson I seem to have to learn over and over again.  Not only that I have so much, but that God does not need all that much to do amazing things.

What is it that you have that in God’s hands can work miracles?  What do you need to do to keep from thinking about how little you have available and start thinking about how much God is pouring into your life?

Pray with me:

God of love and God of abundance open my eyes to all that you have poured into my life that I might give to you what I have so that you can continue to exceed my expectations with your generosity to the world.  AMEN.

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