Day Seventy

“When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather
the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’” (John 6:12)

Scripture reading: John 6:1–15

Millions of people on this planet are starving to death—literally and spiritually. We can and should give to relief efforts that feed the poor, but something even greater is at stake: souls hungry for the Bread of life. Because God never wills anyone to perish, He placed within each person an inner man, a spirit hungry for God.

The hungry and hurting multitudes may not be able to voice what they need, but we can. We must spread the message of salvation. We must teach the Word of God. Our generation has been entrusted to us.

Today approximately six billion people walk, toddle, or crawl on this earth. Although one billion of those call themselves Christians, a far lesser number are born-again, Bible-believing Christians. God knows the exact number of those who call Jesus Lord. He has made them ambassadors of Christ, charging them with offering the Bread of life to all people in all nations. But how can a few reach out to so many?

In effect, Christ asked the same question of Philip in John 6:5 when the few were faced with feeding many. “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” The next verse is crucial: “He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.” Sometimes Christ places a question in our minds to make us seek Him for the answer.

Our question today is: “How will you obey Me and reach out to the multitudes?”

Like Philip, we feel ill equipped, outnumbered, and intimidated. Often we feel so overwhelmed by such a worldwide task that we don’t even try. Yet Christ already has in mind how He wants to feed the multitudes—the same way He fed them in John 6.

A miracle occurs every single time one solitary person offers everything he or she has to Christ. You may think you have so little to give, but if you surrender your all to Him, ultimately He will touch multitudes in ways you may never know.

In Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira stood (or shall I say “dropped”?) in such stark contrast to the boy with the five small barley loaves and two small fish. They had so much yet offered so little. He had so little yet offered all he had. And Christ blessed it and multiplied it many times over. He’ll do it every time.

The feeding of the five thousand account concludes with Christ’s words, “Let nothing be wasted” (v. 12). Beloved, when you surrender yourself entirely to Christ, nothing will be wasted. Not one aggravation. Not one tribulation. Not one celebration. Not one single breath of your life.

One day, when God gathers each of us in His arms, may He be able to say, “This child withheld nothing from Me.” A life without waste. Make haste.