No. 43
From Wendy Howard [Editor of Despatch magazine], Sunshine Coast, Qld, Australia.
Access Online  http://www.despatch.cth.com.au/Main/tabco_main

There was a big crowd of people following Jesus around.
It was hard to not get pushed about.
The boy felt small and as though he didn’t matter at all.
They all followed Jesus up into a mountain.
It was a long walk and everyone was tired.
People everywhere were talking about Jesus,
“He heals the sick! He has even made the dead come to life again!
He tells such wonderful things about God!”
The boy could not even see Jesus.
He was getting disappointed and sad.

Then people began to sit down on the grass .
The boy could see Jesus now.
He was a long way off.
So the boy pushed in between the people on the grass and found a space nearer. Someone said, “It’s lunch time. I wish I’d brought some food.”
Then others  began to say the same.
No one seemed to have brought any lunch but the boy.
Then he heard Jesus say, “Where will we buy bread, that these may eat?”
There was such a huge crowd there. About 5,000 people!
The Bible says that Jesus was speaking to His disciple Philip.
But Jesus knew what He would do.
He was testing Philip to see if He trusted Him to have the problem solved.

The boy felt that he could at least offer his own lunch.
It might help feed someone.
So he stood up and brought his little lunch forward.
It was a bit scary to come close to Jesus and His big men disciples.
But when Jesus looked at him the boy was so happy.
Jesus was gentle and kind looking.
Andrew, one of the disciples, said  loudly, “there’s a boy here.
He’s got five barley loaves and two little fishes.
But what is the use of them when there are so many people.”
Andrew sounded as though he thought the boy was silly,
to bring his little lunch to Jesus.
The boy felt a bit foolish then. He hung his head.

But Jesus took his loaves and fishes and thanked him.
Then He gave thanks to God for the boy’s lunch.
And He told the disciples to give the boy’s lunch out to the 5,000 people!
Do you know what?
There was  enough food to feed them all.
And not only that, but the disciples had to clean up so many bits left over,
that they filled twelve big baskets with the scraps!
It was a miracle!
The people were so thrilled by this that Jesus had to leave,
because they wanted to force Him to become their king.
I think those people got a bit greedy over getting free food.

You might think you are small and not much use to the Lord Jesus.
But He can take the love you offer Him, and do big things with it!
He can make you a blessing to other people.
Just like He made that little boy a blessing.
Never think you are too small to make a different.
You too can be a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Read about that boy and his lunch in John 6:1-12.

This is not some fanciful story. This happened when Jesus was on earth.
The same Lord Jesus is the One who is your own Saviour.
No one is insignificant in the Lord’s eyes.
In fact those who are big important people are often useless to God!
Why? Because they are often filled with themselves and their own importance, and God cannot use them for His purposes. They have no need of anyone but themselves. God uses the needy, the humble and the weak people of the world to show forth His glory.
Jesus said