God Blesses What You Bring Him
By Rick Warren
“Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.” Ecclesiastes 11:1 (RSV)
Whatever you give to God, he multiplies.
If you give God your talent, he’ll multiply your talent. If you give God your energy, he’ll multiply your energy. If you give God your money, he will multiply your money. Whatever you give to God he will multiply and give it back.
Ecclesiastes 11:1 says, “Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days” (RSV).
To teach this truth, Jesus did a miracle. Five thousand people followed Jesus out into the middle of the desert. He taught them all day, and at the end of the day, they were hungry. The disciples told Jesus to send everyone away. Instead, Jesus told the disciples they needed to feed the people. I’m sure the disciples wondered, “What is he doing?” He was testing their faith. He wanted to see if they would depend on him to provide what they needed to feed 5,000 people.
Out of that huge crowd, one little boy had brought lunch, and inside were five little loaves of bread and two dried fish. The boy brought his lunch to Jesus and said, “Lord, you can have this.”
Jesus took the bread and loaves. He prayed, broke it, blessed it, and multiplied it. It fed all 5,000 people—who were also the 5,000 witnesses to this miracle. Not only that, but there were 12 baskets full of leftover fish and loaves!
God always gives you more than you need, more than you anticipate, and more than you can imagine. He took what the boy gave him. He broke it, he blessed it, and he used it.
That’s what God does in your life. He takes what you bring to him—even the broken parts—and uses it for good.
Offer Jesus what you have today. He’ll bless you and use you to bless others.
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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