'During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance."
His disciples answered, "But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?"
"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked.
"Seven," they replied.
He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks , he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people and they did so. They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand men were present. And having sent them away, he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.'
I love this story. The point of this miracle is to show God's great power in providing for us - He'll always take care of us! But the key point in the overall message for me is in verse two...
"'...they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat.'"
You see, these people had gone for three days without food. There was a test of faith before God's act of provision, those that stuck it out and had their priorities straight got to see the power of God. God will [u]always[/u] provide - given that my heart is in the right place - but that doesn't mean that my life will always be easy and pain-free. I have to go through the fire to be transformed and purified; it doesn't work like pixie dust, but that is what makes it all the more worth it.
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