“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish,
but how far will they go among so many?”
(John 6:9)
A Boy, Five Loaves, and Two Fish
Among the people who followed Jesus, there were not only twelve disciples,
but also many others.
Most of them were probably those who were demon-possessed, sick, poor,
powerless, and socially marginalized.
They followed Jesus, longing for a miracle.
Their souls and bodies were hungry.
On that day too, a great crowd was following Him.
Jesus saw the people who had followed Him for days,
barely eating, and He felt compassion for them.
He said to His disciples,
“You give them something to eat.”
The disciples must have panicked.
Out here in the open field,
where could they possibly find enough food for so many?
Even if they gathered what they could,
would it really make any difference?
Then one of the disciples came to Jesus
with five barley loaves and two fish.
“Jesus, this is all we have.”
It was a small lunch that a young boy had brought.
Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down on the grass.
The number of men alone was about five thousand.
Jesus gave thanks and began to distribute the food.
Everyone ate as much as they wanted.
And when it was over,
the leftover pieces filled twelve baskets.
How can such a thing be possible?
It was possible because Jesus is God.
Our Small Offerings in God’s Hands
This is how God often works.
It really seems to be His way again and again.
He takes what we have—our everything—
even when it looks far too small,
and He does something wonderful with it.
Looking at the boy’s small lunch,
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said,
“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish,
but how far will they go among so many?”
We often see things in the same way.
In fact, it might feel like simple realism,
a clear, rational way of thinking.
“Will this really be enough?”
Humanly speaking, it makes sense.
But God chooses to work with “that.”
With that very small thing,
He gives life and feeds many.
With what is tiny in our eyes,
He carries out His great purposes.
That is why we cannot help but praise Him.
With the “very little” that I have,
God does marvelous things—
when I place it in His hands.
Faithful with the Little I Have
When I offer what I have in faith and obedience,
God uses it to give life.
That is why, again today,
I decide to be faithful
in the small things entrusted to me.
“Lord, what I have
is so small and so little.
But Your power is great,
and Your wisdom has no end.
Please take these five barley loaves
and two fish that I bring to You,
and use them in Your work
to give life to many.”