June 25 - Fragments.

John 6:11-13
“And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.”
 
Andrew scoffed at the resources they had…the lad’s lunch. “What are they among so many.” Oftentimes we look at what we have to offer the Lord, and our resources seem daunting in comparison to the need of the task at hand. We, like Andrew, tend to doubt the Lord’s power and what is possible when all that we have is given to Him.
 
When we submit our lives to Him, He often begins to break us. Just like the five barley loaves He broke apart so that they could be used and given to the great company of people, God often breaks us so that we can be used of Him. We are unusable until we are broken by our Lord.
 
Christ gave the pieces of bread to the disciples so that they could then disperse them to the multitude. Much like God gives the men of God in our lives the messages we need, and then they deliver God’s message to us. Once the people had their fill to eat, Christ commanded the disciples to gather up what was left.
 
John 6:12
“When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.”
 
The disciples picked up every piece of bread that was leftover. Miraculously there was twelve baskets full. One for each disciple. Each of them had in their hands a basket full of food that was in itself more than they started with. Not only did 5,000 men eat, an undisclosed amount of women and children, but also the disciples had food for themselves and their families. God had given them the fragments to serve as a witness and reminder that with God nothing shall be impossible.
 
God always has a purpose for breaking us. He must break us in order to empty our vessels so that the Potter can begin to mold us into His image, and fill us with His Spirit.
 
What fragments do you have leftover? If you could gather them all up, they are sure to be even more than what you had when you gave the Lord the little you started with.
 
Those fragments of your life now stand as a witness and reminder of God’s power. We are nothing without Him, but when we surrender our lives to Him we are sure to find that He has done exceeding abundantly above all that we originally asked or thought.
 
Be thankful for your fragments.
 
 
Bible Reading:
I Chronicles 3-4 |  Philippians 2  |  Psalm 146