Moses and God just got done having a talk at a bush that was on fire and wouldn’t burn up. Moses decides to start asking questions about his new mission. Although he is about to be used to lead the people out of Egypt, he seems a bit reluctant about the whole thing. Moses asks the question, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me?”
Essentially, "What if they think I’m crazy?"
Then God replies with a fascinating question, “What is that in your hand?”
Moses had a staff in his hand. Why did God decide to use a staff? Did he really need the staff? Did he really even need Moses? God had a plan to rescue the nation of Israel and he decided that he wasn’t going to do it alone. He was going to use Moses. And Moses’ staff.
Five + Two = 5,000
Jesus has drawn a crowd like he often does. And as evening approaches, the disciples get concerned because there are over 5,000 people that have gathered to hear Jesus and people are getting hungry.
Jesus doesn’t want to send them away, but instead wants to feed them.
The disciples respond, “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish.”
Five loaves. Two fish. Jesus didn’t need the loaves and the fish to feed the people. But he chose to.
God again, just like he did with Moses, chose to use the disciples and chose to use ordinary bread and fish to do something miraculous. He used what was already there, a few pieces of bread and fish, to do something miraculous for the people gathered.
What is your five loaves and two fish? What is that in your hand?
God is in the business of using ordinary people and ordinary gifts and doing something miraculous. So what is it that you have that God will use to do something incredible?