All of Me

Matthew 14:14-21 (NASB)

When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, "This place is desolate and the hour is already late; so send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves." But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!" They said* to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish." And He said, "Bring them here to Me." Ordering the people to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds, and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets. There were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children.

At my friend's graduation, one of the teachers brought up this story, what he said spurred me to write this. I was looking at this verse and saw a parallel to our lives. I'm going to take these verses apart and show you what I saw.

When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.
When Jesus looks down at us he sees a broken and sick people, in need of healing. He had a great compassion for us, so much that He died on the cross to save us and when we accept Him as our Savior, He reaches down and heals our lives.

When it was evening, the disciples came to Him and said, "This place is desolate and the hour is already late; so send the crowds away, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves." But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!"
Jesus asked the disciples to feed the multitude. As they look out across the crowd, they probably felt the task impossible. Many times we feel that way, the Lord calls us to do something and we look at the task and feel overwhelmed at the thought! It's too hard, Lord! You've got the wrong person! I feel this way sometimes, but look at the next two verses.

They said* to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish." And He said, "Bring them here to Me."
We examine our lives and see how worthless we are. How can God use me, I can't do anything?! I have nothing to give, just the broken pieces of my life, but how can You use that?! After the disciples found the fish and bread, Jesus told the disciples to bring all the food to Him. When we finally decide to stop analyzing our lives, we can bring all we have to God just as He asks us to. He wants ALL of us! It doesn't matter what we have or how little or how much! Just "Bring them here to Me." Now look what happens . . .

Ordering the people to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food,
Jesus took those little loaves and blessed them, He prayed over them. Jesus longs to take our lives and bless them! He is continually praying for you! The verse below is Jesus' prayer for us.
John 17:9-25 "I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom You have given Me; for they are Yours; and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. "I am no longer in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are. "While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name which You have given Me; and I guarded them and not one of them perished but the son of perdition, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled."But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. "I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. "As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. "For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth."I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me."The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. "Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. "O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."
This prayer reveals the heart of Jesus. O, how much he loves us! It is incredible to think that the God of all the universe loves us and desires the best for us!

and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds, and they all ate and were satisfied.
Jesus broke the loaves, and distributed the pieces and the people were satisfied. Sometimes Jesus takes our lives and breaks them. Once broken he can use us to bless other people. They picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets. There were about five thousand men who ate, besides women and children.
When our lives are over and God picks up the pieces, if we have yielded to Him, we find our gifts and abilities have been multiplied, more than we could imagine! We have blessed many people by our life, though we had nothing to give. When God takes our lives, He uses them in mighty ways! "With people it is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matt 19:26

~ Heather