“‘What?’ His servant exclaimed. ‘Feed a hundred people with only this?’ But Elisha repeated, ‘Give it to the people so they can eat, for this is what the LORD says, “Everyone will eat, and there will even be some left over!’” And when they gave it to the people, there was plenty for all and some left over, just as the LORD had promised.”
2 Kings 4:43-44 NLT
As a child, I loved the fairy tale about a young woman who had to spin gold from a pile of straw. The servant in this story was only given a handful of food and told to feed one hundred people with it. His response expresses how I feel many days, “What? God, You want me to feed all those people with only this?” However, feeling overwhelmed with an assignment puts me in good company with the widow God instructed to feed Elijah and with the disciples Jesus told to feed the 5,000. They all said the same thing, “We have only!” And yet, when they gave what was in their hand, GOD multiplied it.
I noticed in today’s story that Elisha did not criticize the servant’s honest shock. Instead, the prophet repeated his instructions, but this time he added GOD’s promises. And that God knows that we also need to hear His promises to be able to keep on giving out what HE puts in our hand. Your gift is different than mine, but everything in our hands was given for the purpose of blessing others.
So, every day God speaks truth to us. If we listen, we too will have faith to give our “only” so that everyone can eat and also have leftovers to give again…
Just as HE promised!
