A DEVOTIONAL FOR CHILDREN: “LITTLE TO OFFER”

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH *DAILY BREAD – A DEVOTIONAL FOR THE CHILDREN

EASTERN NIGERIA UNION CONFERENCE CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES

*THEME* : I WILL GO

Friday, July 16, 2021

Topic: Little to offer

“ _Here is a boy with five loaves of barley bread and two little fish. But that is not enough for so many people.” John 6:9_

It can be easy to compare others to ourselves. Often we feel like we should have as much to give as others. Maybe you’ve said, “I wish I have a good voice so that I could sing and help lead the choir” or “my family is not rich, we don’t have enough food to feed ourselves, I wish we had more to help others.”

The Bible did not tell us much about the boy mentioned in John 6. Like Naaman’s little maid, his name or anything about his family is not known. We don’t know if he went alone to listen to Jesus or with friends. We don’t know how old he was. But, what we do know is that he was in the right place at the right time and he was willing to give all that he had to Jesus. He may have begged his parents to go and listen to Jesus. Afterall, the whole country was telling stories of Jesus and his miracles, His mother packed him a lunch with instructions not to stay out late and to stay out of trouble.

He probably found a seat in the front so he could see Jesus and whatever miracle for himself. He enjoyed Jesus’ teaching that he forgot to eat his lunch, and then he overheard Jesus speaking to his disciples about food. At that moment, he remembered he still had his packed lunch of five barley loaves and two small fish. He did not have a much to offer to Jesus, but in an act of generosity, he decided to give it all to Jesus. I suppose he thought, that way at least Jesus would not be hungry. Jesus fed 5000 men plus women and children because of one little boy’s generous heart. The boy himself also received more bread and fish than he started with and ate well. There were twelve baskets of leftovers after everyone had finished eating.

Like the young boy, God wants us to bring what we have to Him. The quantity or the quality is not as important as the heart in which we give it. The Bible says “Each one should give, then, what he has decided in his heart to give. He should not give if it makes him sad. And he should not give if he thinks he is forced to give. God loves the person who gives happily.” (2 Corinthians 9:7), Remember, what we bring, is not as important as to whom we bring it. The boy gave it to Jesus, and he multiplied it to feed the multitude. God is not interested in the gifts we don’t have, but He wants to bless as we give to Him all that we do have. Regardless of how little what we have may appear in our own eyes. If you feel like you don’t have much to give to God, hand it over to Jesus and watch him multiply it, for little is much when it is in God’s hands.

*Song*
In the harvest field now ripened
There’s a work for all to do
Hark! the Master’s voice is calling
To the harvest calling you
Does the place you’re called to labor
And does the place you’re called to labor
Seem so small and little known?
It is great if a God is in it
For He’ll not forsake His own
Refrain
Little is much when God is in it!
Labor not for wealth or fame
There’s a crown, and you can win it
If you go in Jesus’ name

*Prayer*
Thank you Lord for what all that I have. Though it seems so little, I give it all to you. Please take it and use it and me to be a blessing to my family, church, friends and community and for your glory. Amen