Do you ever wake up and feel like God has a word for you that day? Well, today was one of those days for me. God revealed it to me in my quiet time. And, if that wasn’t enough, the devotion that my son and I read together was about the same passage and same thing. OK, OK. I get the message loud and clear.

The message was from Matthew 14. I was struck by the passage in which the disciples, obviously tired of the crowds of people that constantly surrounded them, told Jesus to send the people home and that they (the disciples) would go find food for themselves and Jesus. But Jesus had another answer for them that moment.

Now, we have to remember that Jesus had just heard about the passing of his good friend John the Baptist and that He desired to be alone with His disciples, but the crowd grew larger and followed them. Thousands of men, women and children followed Christ just to catch and glimpse of Him, hear His voice, or perhaps touch Him to be healed. The crowd grew so large that though it was time to eat, no one really had enough food to feed the masses. Instead of sending them away, though, Jesus looked at His team and said,”You feed them.”

OK, I don’t know about you, but I am sure a couple of them might have said or thought, “What did He just say??” But they brought the five loaves and two fish from a young boy’s lunch, and then Jesus did what Jesus does: He performed the only miracle that is recorded in all four Gospels.

First, He asked God’s blessing on the food and then began to break it up. Second, the disciples began to pass it out to the people (5,000 men, not to mention all the women and children). The Bible tells us that everyone ate their fill and that there was a basket full left over for each of the 12 disciples. That should have left little doubt in their minds as to whom they were doing life with.

Here’s the take-away: How is Christ asking you to help those in need? Maybe Jesus is asking you to feed them. That might not mean physically feed them, but to spiritually, emotionally, relationally feed their needs. Christ doesn’t NEED our help for anything in life, but He does WANT us to offer our services to Him. So, whom do you need to feed today? A teammate or coach who has lost a family member? A friend who is looking for answers in all the wrong places? A boss whose marriage is so bad that only God can turn it around? Like the disciples, Jesus did not need them to perform the miracle of feeding the 5,000, but He did want them directly involved so that it would leave a lasting impression on their lives. And He wants to do the same for you. He may not be asking you to feed 5,000 (or maybe He will), but He does want you to be involved in His ministry to others. Let Him use you today to feed others for His sake.