信仰の手引き（英語・English）
Jesus Fed Five Thousand People with Five Barley Loaves
Author
goodnews2
Date
2024-07-12 10:27
Views
688
In life, we all face unwanted difficulties. Problems may arise in our family, we may become ill, or suffer significant material losses. At such times, people try hard to solve their difficulties. If they fail, they become discouraged and saddened. But what if Jesus is with us during those times?
Barley Loaves and Fish
Once, Jesus went to the village of Bethsaida across the sea of Galilee. Many people had heard about Him and gathered there to meet Him. When Jesus saw the crowd, He felt compassion for them. He preached the word of God to them and healed the sick people. Time passed, and it was getting late when one of Jesus’ disciples approached Him.
“Jesus,” he said, “the people should go to the nearby villages to buy food because there’s nothing to eat here in this desolate place.”
Jesus replied, “Give them something to eat.”
One of His disciples said, “Two hundred pennyworth of bread would not be enough for them even if everyone takes just a little.”
Then another disciple said, “Jesus, there’s a boy here who only has five barley loaves of bread and two fish.”
“Bring them to me.” Jesus said.
Jesus instructed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and two fish, he looked up to heaven, blessed them, and then gave them to his disciples to distribute to the crowd. Miraculously, the food multiplied as they handed it out. After five thousand men had eaten, they collected twelve baskets full of leftovers.
If Jesus Works, It Will Be Done
How big do you think the bread the child brought was? Even if it were a large loaf, could it have been enough to feed five thousand people until they were full? This is a story that cannot be understood by human understanding. However, it is a clear fact. Jesus can accomplish great things with little. He solves even the most difficult problems.
As we read the Bible, instead of accepting the words as theory, saying, ‘The Bible says Jesus fed five thousand people with five loaves and two fish, but I can’t do that,’ we must believe that Jesus, who fed five thousand people, can also work in us in that way, too. It may seem impossible to us, but when we have faith that “If Jesus works, it will be done,” we can actually see Jesus working.
The Blessing of Knowing Jesus
We must believe that Jesus is still alive and living within us and practice relying on God. ‘Can the problems in our family be solved? It seems impossible to me, but I know God can surely solve them.’ ‘Jesus can heal my illness.’ ‘Jesus is with me. He will help the solve problems with my friends.’ ‘I am not good at studying, but since Jesus is wise, if He gives me His wisdom, I can study well too.’ We must practice believing in Jesus.
Even if we don’t have much money or talent, with Jesus by our side, nothing is a problem. Knowing Jesus brings much more blessing and is better than having a lot of money or being talented.
When Our Hearts Connect with God Through Prayer
God wants to teach us the faith to believe in Jesus. Therefore, sometimes He allows difficulties and challenges to come our way. He wants us to seek Him in times of trouble and encourages us to pray to Him about our problems.
Try praying to God every morning when you wake up. Start with 10 minutes, then gradually increase to 20 minutes, 30 minutes, or even longer. Sometimes, just pour out your heart to God, sharing everything that’s on your mind. Through this, you will feel a connection with God. You will discover His grace and gratitude will arise in your heart. As your faith grows, there’s nothing more enjoyable than a life of faith.
Experiencing God Working in Your Life
There is no one who does not face difficulties in life, nor is there anyone without problems. Draw near to God in your life; pray, and discuss your problems with Him. Experience God working in your life. Especially when you pray for people facing difficulties, experiencing God answering your prayers fills your heart with joy. Through experiencing God’s work once, twice, and so on, I hope you grow into a worker of God.
