A farmer’s crop is a provision from God (Deuteronomy 16:15), yet the farmer is required to harvest it. Each child born is a gift from God (Psalm 127:3), yet no pregnancy takes place without a man and woman’s union. Israel’s wars were won by God (Deuteronomy 20:4; Joshua 10:42), but Israel was still called to fight. In work, procreation, and the battles of life, God works with us in divine-human partnership. The same is true of the miraculous.
When Jesus was surrounded by an enormous crowd at Bethsaida, a practical matter arose about catering. The tired disciples who were originally brought there for some R&R (Mark 6:31) panicked when Jesus told them to feed the masses (Mark 6:37). They had just a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish, but Jesus miraculously fed the stadium-sized crowd with the meager morsels.
Now, notice a few things about the story:
Who was to feed the crowd? The disciples. Jesus didn’t say, “I’ll feed them,” but “You feed them” (Mark 6:37). Whose food was used? Whatever the disciples could scrounge up. Jesus didn’t make fish and bread fall from the sky; He used what they had (Mark 6:38). Who arranged the people? Distributed the food? Cleaned up afterwards? The disciples (Mark 6:39,41,43). But who did the miracle? Jesus. He directed the whole event (Mark 6:41).
God can harvest a field or win a battle without human involvement. He once arranged a virgin birth! But, in general, He performs miracles as humans act. Paul received his sight when Ananias prayed (Acts 9:17-18). A crowd was fed when the disciples distributed the bread.
Expect God’s blessings to flow through human hands, and offer Him the little you have for His miraculous use.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Daniel 2:1-24
More:
Read Deuteronomy 2:7 and Nehemiah 4:9 to see other examples of divine-human partnership.
Next:
Have you been hoping for a miracle or provision from God without human involvement? How have you been guilty of viewing your gifts, talents, and resources as too small for God to use?
joehillomni on May 29, 2011 at 4:49 am
I just wanted to thank you for writing this devotional just for me! I have been trying to determine what resources I have to feed my family and glorify God and felt I only had a few meager crumbs. WOW then you nailed me! Yes, I have been guilty of viewing my gifts, talents and resources as too small for God to use. Thanks, Sheridan, for truly touching my heart this morning. Have a great Memorial Day weekend my friend!
Joe
tim gustafson on May 29, 2011 at 7:33 am
I can really echo what joehillomni says. God has given us everything we need, and I always think I need more. I just need more of Him! Thanks, Sheridan.
pjp on May 29, 2011 at 5:53 am
Tnx Sheridan, simple & powerful.
lindagma on May 29, 2011 at 6:28 am
I see this played out in our Christmas cantata every year. I have limited time, limited resources, last minute changes, frustrations galore…but He always pulls it together and blesses. We have over 100 people come to Christ every year. And when I mention what went wrong to family members, they say, “Really, I didn’t even notice. I thought it was great.” How like Him to take my frustrations and turn them into something wonderful for His purpose and remind me who is in control.
alegria on May 29, 2011 at 7:20 am
This was a super reminder for me that God never endorses a “victim” mentality. He expects us to take whatever we have – time, ability, finances, hand them to Him and and see what He will do with them. Thanks for the admonition to keep pursuing Him with whatever I have.
pampauley65 on May 29, 2011 at 8:14 am
Wow. I can take what little I have to Jesus and He will bless it and multiply it so I can share it with others. Thank you for giving me a new way of looking at my gifts and abilities.
eppistle on May 29, 2011 at 8:44 am
When it comes to salvation, spiritual growth and ministry, there is usually a divine-human partnership. God initiates and humans have a responsibility to respond. Many of these issues are paradoxical – seemingly contradictory, but actually just difficult to understand. Overemphasis on one side can lead to fatalism. Overemphasis on the other side can lead to pride or hopelessness. We need to fully believe in both God’s sovereignty and human responsibility so that we don’t fall into error and false beliefs.
zero_g on May 29, 2011 at 9:40 am
Acts 9:17-18 reminds me that I can do God’s work. I have the power to heal other people. I believe this is the ONLY way God works, and that is through His people. I don’t take this passage literally, like I can make a blind man see, but I can open people’s eyes to things they cannot see, by confronting them with their sins for example.
I have difficulty believing many of the miracles recorded in the Bible. I find myself constantly trying to re-interpret the literal accounts as a message from God about how His power operates in ways beyond what we can comprehend. Lots of the miracles in the Bible are counter to what is physically possible and that concerns me.
It does not shake my faith in God or my belief that Jesus died for my salvation, but rather it concerns me how most Christians still take these miracles literally and try to physically heal people or even predict the end of the world. These acts by people who are doing what they faithfully believe to be true, thwart the efforts to get the Word distrubuted in the digital age.
The Lord calls us to be fishers of men. Using miracles which cannot be physically explained is like fishing with a plastic shiny lure. When we do as God commands us through his Word, we become real examples of His power and don’t ‘hook’ our catch but plant a sense mystery in their mind which causes them to jump into His boat willfully.
regina franklin on May 29, 2011 at 4:38 pm
Dear zero_g–
You present a real concern for the body of Christ. So often we search for the visible rather than seeking His presence. Jesus didn’t call us to figure out the timing of His return but instead challenged us to be ready and to “‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full” (Luke 14:23). Even Jesus said we were not to be a generation seeking signs.
With that said, however, I do believe that God makes His kingdom visible in so many ways–in His saving power in a life, the restoration of relationships, the provision of our needs, and sometimes in the inexplicable miracle. As humans, we have difficulty embracing what we cannot explain, and yet the whole message of the Cross rests on the inexplicable–Christ rising from the dead. Without that truth, we would all be lost and bound by death.
I think we struggle when we can’t explain why we see the miraculous in certain situations and not in others. For example, my nephew was healed of scoliosis without any medical intervention (with the before and after xrays) but my father died of cancer. I guess I’ve come to the place where it’s not my role to explain the mysterious workings of God but to embrace with faith both the expansive love of His heart toward mankind and the possibilities of His awesome power. I’m called to be attentive to His voice, to walk in obedience to His Word, and to trust that He will accomplish His will.
peacedove on May 30, 2011 at 1:06 am
Jesus used miracles during his time on earth in situations where the people did not believe.They needed that little extra push He did not need to perform miracles if those around him had faith in the Lord. He did not have to prove his love for us.
I know from faith in my life,that he works miracles each and every day. So I believe that all the miracles in the Bible are true……in fact there are many more that were not recorded.
When I pray and ask God for protection….he works miracles to do it!!
Try it out!! You will soon believe in miracles.
sowharvest on May 29, 2011 at 6:42 pm
Sheridan I want to thank you for listening to the word of GOD and then obeying by writing this message just for me. The Lord knew I would be throwing myself such a pity down&out party regarding my lack of having enough. Work has been slow and words of encouragement have been few. But Today… I am reminded that “GOD is greater” than any man any thing. That “GOD can do all things thru Chirst Jesus that strengthens us.” Philp 4:13. Thank you so much Thank you so much. Glory be to GOD. Glory be to our GOD who is never far from us.. who hears and sees our trials and struggles and just wants us to keep on pressing on. Hallelujah!!!!!!