Taken, Blessed, Broken, and Multiplied

Monday, September 22

Mathew 14:19-21 

And he directed the people to sit down on the grass.  Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.  Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.  They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.  The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children. 

Devotion

Often, when looking at today’s scripture we focus on the miracle of Jesus feeding the multitude with a young boy’s lunch rather than on the process before the miracle happened. That same process often needs to happen before God works miracles in our lives. God first asks that we surrender the situation or problem to him. Giving our troubles over to him is not always easy. We want to hold on as if we can control the outcome. However, yielding a situation over to God positions us to receive. When emptying our hands, our hands then have the capacity to hold what God is about to give us. And as Courtney Bence stated in Sunday’s message, “He can’t touch what you still clutch.”

Secondly, Jesus blessed the fish and the loaves. God blesses with a purpose, it isn’t about us gaining things. His presence is the best part of his blessings in our lives.

Jesus next broke the bread before it was multiplied. We don’t often like the broken seasons in our lives. However, with Him being present in our times of struggle we have strength to endure. After all, Jesus didn’t promise us that there would be no trouble in our life but He did promise to be with us in those breaking moments. In Sunday’s message, Courtney Bence reminded us that “muscles have to be torn down first before there is strength,” and that “breaking seasons reshape us so that we can carry what the Lord is about to pour out in our life.” We are broken so that we can be reshaped into something new.

Five loaves and 2 fish became a meal for thousands! God uses the broken places in our lives to multiply His glory through us. Those times of sorrow and hardship in our lives can many times be a place of reference to us in helping others and thus it is multiplied in the ministry, love, and compassion towards others. It is multiplied in the change that takes place in us that we are able to be used by God to glorify Him. It is multiplied sometimes in the mere testimony of others seeing how we go through the breaking as well.

Today's Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for your promise to multiply my daily bread of your living word to be able to feed many others also. Help me give my time to you to feed on your word. Bless my time in the word, and let me be broken over your word as it convicts and changes me. Then somehow, through your miracle of multiplication, give me your gift of prophecy – the right Scripture at the right time over and over and over again, so that I can feed all the hungry people around me who have not yet learned to feed themselves from your word. In the Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Apply It Today

Jesus TOOK the fish and the loaves, BLESSED them, BROKE them, and then MULTIPLIED them. Where are you right now in this process? Have you given your need to Jesus? Do you remember God’s blessings on your life, or would a reminder be helpful right now? If you are in the breaking, do not withdraw from God; see Step 1 and ask Him to bring you through it in a way that allows you to hold the multiplication, like a new container holds new wine made from the crushing of grapes. Are you seeing the multiplication? Give glory to God and encourage others with spiritual food the Holy Spirit provides.

Resources
  • Catch Courteney Bence’s message, “The Blessing in the Breaking” on YouTube or podcast and be inspired to seek God’s divine touch for revival and bold faith.
  • Wherever you are in the process, a supportive small group can offer prayer and encouragement for your situation. Join a Connect Group today!