Give Him What You Have!

Matthew 14:17-1 (NIV) 17 “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. 18 “Bring them here to me,” he said. 19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.

In 2005, the National Science Foundation published an article regarding research about human thoughts per day. The average person has about 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day. Of those, 80% are negative and 95% are exactly the same repetitive thoughts as the day before and about 80% are negative.

Little wonder that negative thinking is the Number one cause of chronic depression. If you don’t believe the statistics, just take the time to really listen to what people talk about, to what they say. We are a culture whose conversation constantly gravitates to complaining, judging others, worry, self-doubt.

Negative thinking focuses more on what I don’t have. Positive thinking focuses more on what I do have. Ask yourself, do I focus more on what I do not have or what I do have? For the majority of the world, the answer is the latter. Most people are unconsciously addicted to negative thinking. Negative thinking is not just a bad habit, it is a terrible addiction, and probably directly responsible for every other addiction known to man. After all, when we are addicted to food, TV, drugs, etc., we are really just trying to escape our own thoughts.

That was at the heart of the disciple’s response to Jesus in Matthew 14:17. Jesus had preached long into the day, to over 5000 people not counting women and children, the number could have well been over 12,000. It was supper time and Jesus did not want to send the people away hungry, so they began to look around the crowd to see what food was available. Phillip, one of Jesus disciples, came back and reported, we only have five loaves and two fish, John adds that he stated, "but what they are among so many people".

See how negative thinking just took over? Think about how often the Lord presents opportunities in our lives to do incredible things for him, but instead of focusing on What we have, what he said, who he is, and how incredible his power is, we focus on what we don’t have. See how that limits us and cuts us off from the miracle working power of the Lord.

How many times has the enemy put in your mind, if I had the resources that someone else had, I could have done more with my life. If I had been born rich, I could have done more. If I could just get a better paying Job. I could do more, I could be more, If only I had_____ you fill in the blank.

Brothers and Sisters, let me encourage you today, when you received Jesus as Lord and Savior, you received everything God has for you in this life. 2 Peter 1:3 declares "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue": Bless the name of the Lord, when you got Jesus you got it all. There is not lack in your life, there is not want in your life. There is no void in your life.

Let me encourage you with 3 things that will stop the enemy in his tracks.

Look at what Jesus told the disciple to do in this text. He told them in verse 16, “You give them something to eat”. (1)Stop focusing on what you don’t have, focus on what you do have. You might not think you have a lot, but there are people all over the world who would be rich if they had what you have.

(2) “Jesus said bring them here to me”. Whatever God has given you the key is to focus first on what you do have, and then take what you have and give it to Jesus. The Lord doesn’t care how little you bring, the Lord doesn’t care how worn out it is, the Lord doesn’t care how weak it is, He said “Bring it to me”

(3) Verse 19, He looked up to heaven and gave thanks for it. Whatever the Lord has given you, thank him for it. If he can feed 12,000 with two fish and five loaves, he can take what you bring and turn it into a miracle.

Don’t dwell in the negative of what you do not have, think about how the Lord will use you mightily with what you do have. Say this with me “Lord use what I have to make miracles”. Watch him do it!