1/29 Mark 6:37

³⁷ But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." And they said to him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?"

Jesus had tried to get away from the crowds to get some rest, but they could see where Jesus' boat was going and followed from along the shoreline. There were five thousand men plus women and children. Jesus taught them all day. As evening approached, the disciples suggested that Jesus send the crowd away so that they could get something to eat. Jesus responded, "You give them something to eat." Jesus had shortly before sent the disciples out in twos as a part of their training. Now He is telling them to consider what they should do in a case like this.

Their solution is probably the same one that you or I would have come up with: Send a team and a cart to go buy a whole bunch of bread and haul it back. We look to ourselves and our capabilities and consider our limitations. But what does God want to do in this situation?

Jesus asked the disciples the same thing that God asked of Moses when He asked what he had on hand (Exodus 4:2). Moses just had a staff, but look what God did with that staff! Jesus' disciples just had two fish and five small loaves of bread. Look what God did with that! Jesus was still teaching them to have faith and look to God. God may direct you to do the practical, or He may direct you to give what you have on hand to be used by Him in a supernatural way.

We often look to a pastor or elder to address the present needs. It may be someone who is in need of prayer, or who has a financial emergency or a crisis of faith. Can you hear Jesus stretching your faith by telling you to pray for the person or with His help to meet that need yourself? Before you run to someone else, will you pray and ask God what He would have you do?

Consider: Jesus is training you just as He trained His disciples.