The last half of John 6:11 describes how Jesus involved the Disciples in the loaves and fishes miracle. It says He distributed the multiplying food to the hungry people through them. The miraculous literally passed THROUGH their hands. They were conduits of wonder. I can’t even begin to imagine what an amazing experience that must have been for them.
But as someone who longs to be more USEUL when God is moving to meet people’s needs through displays of His power, I notice two things here that I find extremely helpful.
First, through the events of the preceding verses, Jesus made it clear to the Disciples that they were not responsible to MAKE the miracle happen. Neither THEIR money nor THEIR culinary skills were involved. It was ALL Jesus. Their role was to simply dispense what He was creating. They were like divine delivery-persons. UPS and FedEx drivers aren’t required to purchase or manufacture the items in their trucks. Their job is to just make sure the boxes get to the right address, ring the doorbell, and leave them on the porch.
So much pressure comes off when I understand that. Miracles are not up to me. My job is to lay hands the sick. It’s His to do the healing. My job is to speak the words of prophecy, knowledge, wisdom, and discernment HE gives. My job is to pray for the bound and broken-hearted. His is to deliver and comfort.
The second thing I see here is that the grand miracle of feeding the multitude unfolded in stages, mouthful by mouthful. The Disciples got to be involved in distributing a series of bite-sized miracles that altogether became something legendary.
Now, don’t misunderstand. A miracle is a miracle. The terms “large” and “small” do not really apply. And God can work massive miracles in an instant. But I’ve found that for the most part, He invites me to participate in a lot of little ones that accumulate over time into an amazing expression of His glory.
As an older man who has walked with God for a long time now, this is deeply moving to me. I look back over my life and rejoice with amazement at the times I’ve witnessed demonstrations of God’s explosive power. But I also cherish the cumulative weight of all those quieter ones. And I’ve come to understand the value of living in the daily expectation of a steady stream of God’s manifest power.
So, if you’re desperate today for a large, loud, and immediate miracle from heaven, we have a God who is more than able. But it may just be that His provision is on the way to your doorstep a box at a time. Don’t miss them.