The Story of the 5 Loaves and 2 Fishes
7 Truths That Can Change Your Life
During his earthly life Jesus performed several miracles, each of them was fantastic, but only two are mentioned in the four gospels: the resurrection and the feeding of the 5,000.
For this, let’s read the passage located in John 6: 1–14.
1st TRUTH:
There are people who follow God for the wrong reasons.
In John 6 verse 1:
“And a great multitude followed him because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.”
Therefore we must ask ourselves, why do I follow Jesus, what is my motivation? It is not wrong to expect from him a miracle, a provision, sustenance; but it is wrong that this is our only purpose in approaching God …, “He is not the genius of the three desires.”
Jesus once said, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me because you have eaten your fill, and not because you have understood the miraculous signs” (John 6:26).
2nd TRUTH:
God always gives us Opportunities to Develop ourselves.
In John 6 verse 5:
“When Jesus lifted up his eyes and saw that a great multitude had come to him, he said to Philip: Where can we buy bread to feed these?”
What for many may represent a problem is an opportunity in the hands of God, it is an opportunity for growth for their children!
Note that verse 6 states that Jesus knew how he was going to solve the problem of eating but he asked Philip the question to test him, to see his reaction, to observe his resolution capacity.
Likewise in life, we are faced with adversities to strengthen us, make us strong, and develop our faith in God.
The Bible declares, “All things work together for the good of his children” (Romans 8:28).
3rd TRUTH:
There are things that are not resolved in the Natural but in the Supernatural.
In John 6 verse 7:
“Philip answered him: Two hundred denarii of bread would not be enough for each of them to take a little.”
We see a correct answer here, at least from the point of view of logic. Felipe is saying that not even with two hundred days of work you could collect enough money to buy food for so many people (1 denarius in those days represented the pay of a day’s work).
Felipe’s answer was true, but not entirely. He had not yet understood that God moves in the field of the supra-material.
And like him many times we look at our wallets, we read the medical report, we analyze the circumstances and we say, “we will never get out of this”, “I will never make it.”
But we forget that we serve a God who moves up there and that miracles break all-natural order; therefore we must learn to trust the God who breaks our logic, our order, our schemes.
God, Himself declares: “My ways are higher than yours” (Isaiah 55: 9).
TRUTH 4:
Do not allow your doubtful Thoughts to materialize in demotivating Words.
In John 6 verses 8 and 9:
“One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him: Here is a boy, who has five barley loaves and two small fish; but what is this for so many?”
Andrés appears on the scene, one of the four intimate disciples of the Master, and unlike Felipe, who was all mathematician, he was bolder, he was a little more advanced in matters of faith but not entirely, he was in process.
Andrés said: “Here is a boy who has five loaves and two little fish”, up to there it was going well, but then he himself backtracks in his advance by saying, “But what is this for so many?”
In the same way, we act: We declare, we fight, we pray loudly and we assert that God will do, but in our mind doubts arise immediately and we quickly fall before our own questions.
The wise Solomon teaches: “To take care of the words is to take care of oneself; he who talks a lot is ruined alone ”(Proverbs 13: 3). So: Don’t allow your Doubtful Thoughts to materialize into demotivating Words.
5th TRUTH:
God often uses the Ordinary to realize the Extraordinary.
Let’s read again in John 6 verses 8 and 9:
“One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him: Here is a boy, who has five barley loaves and two small fish; but what is this for so many?”
The biblical writer emphasizes two things here:
1. The central character in this miracle is just a boy, in other versions of the Bible.
2. And the second thing to observe was that this child had in his possession five little fish, not fish, but very small specimens and two loaves, but not just any kind of bread, but “barley bread that was the food of the poor.”
Why does the holy writer give us these details? Very simple, because he wanted to teach us that the God of the Universe uses the small, the simple, the humble, “the little things to do great things.”
We see this procedure throughout the entire Bible. Therefore, do not be ashamed of what you have in your hand, God wants to use it to make a wonder.
Whether you have an ability, a skill, a capital, a humble job, do not think that this is little, for God it is more than enough to use it and bless your life and that of many.
In 1 Corinthians 1:27, we find teaching related to this that says: “Rather, God has chosen the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and the weak of the world God has chosen to shame the strong.” (1 Corinthians 1:27).
God will always enforce his plans, counting on the humble and sincere of heart. That they are willing to surrender what they have for the service of the Lord.
6th TRUTH:
Give thanks for what you have, give Him your Projects and you will see how He takes charge.
In John 6 verse 11 we read:
“And Jesus took those loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them among the disciples, and the disciples among those who sat down; also of the fish, as much as they wanted. ”
The action of Jesus here is wonderful, He did not grumble about the few fish or the loaves, instead, He gave thanks for them.
The thanking of Jesus here implies three things:
1) The action of contentment. Be grateful in all circumstances. Even when it is the least desired. Remembering that all things are in the hands of God.
In connection with this, Paul wrote in Philippians 4:12:
“I know how to live humbly, and I know how to have abundance; in everything and for everything I am taught, both to be satiated and to be hungry, so to have abundance as to be in need.”
2) The action of surrendering to God our burdens, our requests, our projects, our capacities.
We must surrender our burdens to God and trust in his power. In Psalm 55:22 it says:
“Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never allow the righteous to slip.”
3) The action of waiting on God.
And we must do the same, give thanks for each blessing — no matter how small it may be — , and entrust to Him our projects, goals, tasks, daily days, and also our requests, then we will see the work of the Lord in our favor.
Solomon teaches us, “Commit your works to the Lord, and your plans will succeed” (Proverbs 16: 3).
7th TRUTH:
When God blesses he always does it in Surplus.
In John 6 verses 12 and 13:
“And when they were satisfied, he said to his disciples: Gather up the pieces that are leftover, so that nothing is lost. So they gathered and filled twelve baskets with pieces, which of the five barley loaves were left over for those who had eaten.”
The Bible also teaches that God is not stingy with his blessings, he is generous, generous, and rewarding of his.
The Bible also teaches that when God blesses He does it in a big way, He does not walk small, He pours out His goodness in an exaggerated way.
And remember this, “when God decides to bless you there is no one who can stop it.” Jesus himself declared: “I have come that they may have life and life to the full” (John 10:10).
CONCLUSION
There is an old adage that goes like this:
“If you want God to speak to you a lot, a lot, a lot; so read the Bible a lot, a lot, a lot.”
Today we have seen seven powerful tips, which would do us very well to put into practice.
1st TRUTH: There are people who follow God for the wrong reasons.
2nd TRUTH: God always gives us opportunities to develop ourselves.
3rd TRUTH: There are things that are not resolved in the Natural but in the Supernatural.
4th TRUTH: Do not allow your doubtful Thoughts to materialize in demotivating Words.
5th TRUTH: God often uses the Ordinary to realize the Extraordinary.
6th TRUTH: Give thanks for what you have, give Him your Projects and you will see how He takes charge.
7th TRUTH: When God blesses he always does it in Surplus.
In John 8: 31–32 it says:
“If you stay true to my teachings, you will truly be my disciples: and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
And Who is the Truth?
In John 14: 6 Jesus tells us:
“Jesus said to him: I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.”
Jesus Christ is the truth and if we stay true to his teachings, Jesus Christ will set us FREE.
I hope this message is a blessing for you and for those to whom you want to share it.
