“You can’t get blood from a rock.” That saying, used sometimes in my part of the world, means that we can’t get from another person or situation what simply isn’t there. For example, I might say, “I can’t get blood from a rock” when I’m trying to collect a debt from someone who doesn’t have the money to repay me. Trying to acquire cash from someone who isn’t capable of providing it is impossible.
The disciples once thought Jesus was trying to “get blood from a rock.”
When He told His disciples to feed a crowd of 5,000 men (along with the women and children who were there with them), the disciples’ response was, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish. . . . Are you expecting us to go buy enough food for this whole crowd?” (Luke 9:13). In other words, their response was, “Jesus, what on earth are You thinking?” Of course, the Savior knew exactly what He was asking. He wanted them to trust that God would use what they had to provide for others and for the situation. God would multiply what they had—it wasn’t about what they didn’t have.
Jesus used the five loaves and two fish, the little the disciples could muster up, to feed over 5,000 people! (Luke 9:17).
When we come to Christ, God takes us as we are—our personalities, experiences, skills, wisdom, abilities, disabilities, work, all of our circumstances including our failures—and uses them for His glory (Colossians 3:23). When we offer Him our “five loaves and two fish” in life, He uses who we are and what we possess to nourish others. How it happens, we can’t explain. But He does it.
Use what you have! God will multiply it.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: James 3:1-12
More:
Read Exodus 4:3, 14:16, and 17:5. How did God use Moses’ ordinary staff to work wonders?
Next:
Pray to God and ask Him to use what you have right where you are. How does God’s multiplication of our humble efforts reveal His great power?
Gary Shultz on December 21, 2016 at 5:28 am
Hi Marlena: You seem to have pressed on what is a reoccurring event in the scriptures, especially in the gospels during the presence of Christ himself. I place no extraordinary blame at all on the disciples because I would have been doing the same thing. We still do it, they couldn’t see because they could see. Christ was in their midst and on many occasions they could not see beyond the earthly, to see not just what Christ could do, but who He really was. Their faith was repeatedly schooled and with the eye and gift of the Spirit they saw. Power from heaven became real in their lives. Of course, I must ask myself repeatedly where is your faith? “Is My arm too short” asks God? No, my faith is too small and my vision too near-sided. God opened heaven and and gave His Son for our lack. He will not step back from His gift or those who trust in Him. He supplies all the more, because He can. Thanks Marlena, Celebrate His gift.
Monica Brands on December 21, 2016 at 8:22 pm
Great insights, Gary, and I’m grateful as well for Marlena’s words today. I often wonder how much of our lives today are still driven by fears of what (we think, we are sure) can’t be done instead of the amazing things God can do with a little.
Marlena Graves on December 21, 2016 at 9:16 pm
Thank you for your good word. Whatever little gifts we have, we have to offer. That’s all we can do.
gagirllive on December 21, 2016 at 7:12 am
Well, Marlena, down south where I live the rock is a turnip—a cruciferous root vegetable for those who are scratching their heads. And quite tasty, I might add. 🙂 Friend, don’t you just love how God puts the super in our natural and the extra in our ordinary? I wonder how many awesome things we have forfeited because we didn’t have the confidence or faith in God to meet us in our insufficiency. I think too often we offer nothing to God because we think we have nothing to give or what we have isn’t enough. But He delights in taking our mustard seeds, our weaknesses, and even our total lack and showing off His power. All we need to do is just have a little faith. With Him, our “little becomes much when we place it in the Master’s hand.” (From the song “Ordinary People”) God truly is more interested in our availability than our ability. Like Gideon, we can go in the strength we have and watch God take off with it. He will carve things down and shave things off until there’s nothing left but Him working through us. And that’s just as it should be. Isn’t it interesting that the disciples collected 12 baskets of leftovers? Wonder if they got that message. Hopefully they weren’t still thinking about rocks…or turnips. 🙂 Thanks for this today, Marlena. I wish you and your family the merriest of Christmases! Grace and peace fellow travelers.
Monica Brands on December 21, 2016 at 8:46 pm
Thanks for these beautiful words of encouragement, gagirllive! I pray you have a joy-filled Christmas!
Marlena Graves on December 21, 2016 at 9:19 pm
Thank you gagirlive. You are always such an encouragement. I love this in your words: “we didn’t have the confidence or faith in God to meet us in our insufficiency”. Not only will that preach, but you could write a whole book about it. Maybe one day you will. Merry Christmas!
jef on December 21, 2016 at 3:52 pm
Quoting Jon Courson…The more we allow Christ to work in and through us, the more He taps us on the shoulder, saying, “I’ve already blessed you. Now I want to use you. Go out there and serve for My glory.”
Monica Brands on December 21, 2016 at 8:23 pm
Great quote, Jef – thanks for sharing. I’ll try to hang onto that!
Marlena Graves on December 21, 2016 at 9:19 pm
I have never heard that, Jef. Love it!
hsnpoor on December 22, 2016 at 8:35 am
I’m really late to this party, but so glad I came. Thank you Marlena for a devotion that I really needed and that turned my discouragement to encouragment. Gary, you really brought a word to put walking shoes on the lesson and GG you pointed to the one who provides the shoes, puts them on, laces them up and sends us on our way. All in all, why do we continue to doubt and walk in fear instead of victory, even when we don’t see it. Like the old Gospel song says, we’ve come this far by faith, trusting in his holy word, He’s never failed me yet! And, he never will because He doesn’t know how; that’s a mark of humanity, not of God.