By Sidharth Mohandas

“Bring them here to Me”, said Jesus to the disciples who said, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish”. How was Jesus supposed to feed the 5000 that followed him? They were surely in a state of need, and they lacked food. What did Jesus ask them to do? He asked them to bring what they had with them. If you’re in a state of insufficiency, what you have with you is not what you need; it’s your seed to fulfill your need. So many people don’t see this. They hold onto the seed as though it’s their need.

Probably you’re not all that good with the instruments, and you wonder, “If I only could play better”. Or maybe you’re unable to love others the way you want to. Or you have a financial problem and what you have with you doesn’t meet you need. Whatever the lack in your life is, God’s simple instruction is to sow the seed. How do you sow the seed in the above areas? Play that guitar the best way you can for Him, love people the best way He has enabled you to, give your best financial offering and God will bring increase to you.

Friends, do you remember the widow at Zarephath? God tells Elijah to go to Zarephath and tells him that a widow would feed him there. When Elijah reaches Zarephath, he asks this widow if she could bring water and bread for him. She replies and says, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.” [1 Kings 17: 12]. But look at Elijah’s reply: “First make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and BRING IT TO ME”. In other words, Elijah was asking her to bring what she had with her- to sow a seed. And do you know what happened? She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry. [1 Kings 17:15-16].

You must also realize that when God asks you to bring something to Him, He will ask you for something that you hold close to your heart. It may be a relationship, it may be the time you spend on the Internet, it may even be some hobby that you have.…I faced something similar some days back. The Lord asked me if I could give up my time with a close friend, and I wanted to hold back what He asked for. It wasn’t that He didn’t want me to enjoy my time with my friend, He wanted me to re-focus my eyes on Him. Just yesterday this friend said he couldn’t spend time with me as he used to because of some obligations. I felt terribly hurt, but later I remembered that the Lord had asked me if I were willing to give up the time I had with my friend. Looking back I can say, obeying the Lord is the safest place we can be in. When He tells you to bring what you have, simply obey.

Before I end, remember, what you have with you is a seed, not your need, sow it and reap a harvest.