One of the most well-known, and beloved stories in the Bible is the story of Jesus turning a boy’s meager lunch of five loaves and two fish into a feast for five thousand plus, with leftovers. It is a story that appears in all the Gospels.
I have read it many times, but recently while studying John’s Gospel, God showed me something brand new … as He is accustomed to doing. It wasn’t a new verse, just a new revelation.
After a discussion with the disciples about the impossibility of feeding so many, and a young boy’s willingness to give up his small lunch to Jesus … John 6:11 says,
Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
Being grateful and giving thanks certainly isn’t a new concept in the Bible. Counting blessings is a lesson in giving thanks for both, big and small provisions. But what about giving thanks for the not-enoughs?
How many fish did Jesus have when He gave thanks? Two! Quite possibly, two fish would not be considered a blessing when the need was to feed five thousand! He didn’t tell His Father what He needed, He simply thanked God for what He had already been provided, which by anyone’s math was just not-enough.
There’s an argument that Jesus knew what God was going to do in providing food for five thousand. But Jesus did not thank God for what He was going to do; He thanked Him for what He had in His hands. If Jesus is the model for living, then giving thanks for “not-enoughs” is the way to righteousness. That’s what really hit my heart.
Gratitude is thankfulness for a benefit received.
Is gratitude the inclination of my heart when the blessing is two fish? .. when what I hold in my hands is not enough? I can certainly make a long list of not-enoughs, or circumstances where my prayer is yet to be answered. And here’s what I learned …
God knows exactly what I need and is well-able to provide. It might make no sense to be grateful in that place of not-enough, but acknowledging God and standing in faith, shifts my focus and realigns my heart. I can always be grateful for the God that gave me the two fish.
In that gap between what I have and what I need (or perhaps think I need), is the space for God to do what only He can do. That alone should be a gratitude starter. But I confess, it’s easy to focus on wanting the Provision, the answer to prayer … and therefore fail to be grateful when that provision is simply not-enough.
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
What is your not-enough? Discipline, peace, compassion, love? Perhaps, it’s your desires for a loved one, or your hope for a relationship that seems impossible. We sometimes get caught in a gap where our math is insufficient and the odds seem insurmountable.
Desperation creates a space in our hearts for God. Gratitude for our not-enough allows God to do what only He can do. It’s where we trust in His Provision … thankful, grateful, even in our apparent lack. The gap separates us from the problem. Our needs are great but God is a great Provider.
Isn’t that really what the Gospel is? We come to the realization, we can’t get to God .. we are not enough to bridge the gap to Him. And yet in that space .. God was gracious enough to give us Jesus to bridge the gap, to die in our place on the Cross. Jesus Himself covers our shortfall. The best we had to offer was two fish, but God supplied all of the righteousness of Christ to us. That math is beyond what my little brain can comprehend but my heart overflows with gratitude.
The other lesson that hit home for me in John 6:11, was that Jesus’ heart was set on distributing what He had to meet the needs of others, and He trusted that God would make it enough.
When I only have two fish, is my heart set on giving? This story teaches me to be comfortable with limitations, even grateful in them. And if my heart is set on generosity, God will absolutely multiply what is brought to Him. I can look with expectancy to see what He will do. When I don’t have enough love, but my desire is to give it … He will make what I have more than sufficient. Don’t have enough time to serve? Test Him and see .. He can make any not-enough plentiful.
“Faith and fear both demand you believe in something you cannot see. You choose!” ~ Bob Proctor
What is your two fish? It’s easy to focus on what we don’t have but gratitude opens space for more. Realign your heart to be grateful for the not-enough. Make a list and thank Him for those gaps. How can you trust Him to multiply what you have to meet the needs of others? In our not-enough we get to see His miraculous power and His way-more-than-enough.
Gratitude in the middle of our gap, ignites faith. Faith believes in a God who is Gracious, Sovereign, and Able to do the miraculous.
Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. ~ Ephesians 3:20-21
