John 6:9 is a miraculous story where Jesus fed 5,000 men (not including women and children). What an amazing thing to be part of a miracle like this.
Can you imagine how stunned and amazed that child was because his five loaves of bread and two fishes could feed all those people, even until they felt full and had leftovers?
Being involved in Jesus’ miracle probably caused this boy to be considered someone special by the disciples and many people. He was a hero of that day who had saved thousands of hungry people with what little he had.
But actually, it’s not him or his bread and fishes that saved many people. It’s because he brought those things to Jesus. It’s because Jesus chose to use him to bless many people.
The important lesson from this story is that God can use everybody to work with Him and do miracles. He can use anyone He chooses, even a little child.
Jesus decided to choose this boy to be the tool for His miracle. It was God’s right, and it was His grace for that child. Jesus could have chosen someone else, or He could have done a miracle without anyone’s help.
He is able!
This story teaches us that one little child with God can do great miracles. One little child in God’s grace can be a channel of God’s blessing to transform communities or even nations.
The most important issue is not the weakness of children or their limitations, but the greatness of God’s love and power that work in the lives of little ones. It’s all about God, not about us. It’s about His grace working within us.
“There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” —John 6:9, NIV
Prayer: Let us pray for all of our children and the children in our ministry, that they will personally experience God and be used by Him.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: H. Petrus Nawawi works as a Learning and Support Specialist for Compassion Indonesia.
Read all the One in Spirit devotionals.