“Give Ye Them to Eat”
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He did not invite them to eat, but began to distribute to them, bidding
them serve the people. The food multiplied in His hands; and the hands
of the disciples, reaching out to Christ Himself the Bread of Life, were
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never empty. The little store was sufficient for all. After the wants of
the people had been supplied, the fragments were gathered up, and
Christ and His disciples ate together of the precious, Heaven-supplied
food.
The disciples were the channel of communication between Christ
and the people. This should be a great encouragement to His disciples
today. Christ is the great center, the source of all strength. His disciples
are to receive their supplies from Him. The most intelligent, the most
spiritually minded, can bestow only as they receive. Of themselves
they can supply nothing for the needs of the soul. We can impart only
that which we receive from Christ; and we can receive only as we
impart to others. As we continue imparting, we continue to receive;
and the more we impart, the more we shall receive. Thus we may be
constantly believing, trusting, receiving, and imparting.
The work of building up the kingdom of Christ will go forward,
though to all appearance it moves slowly and impossibilities seem to
testify against advance. The work is of God, and He will furnish means,
and will send helpers, true, earnest disciples, whose hands also will be
filled with food for the starving multitude. God is not unmindful of
those who labor in love to give the word of life to perishing souls, who
in their turn reach forth their hands for food for other hungry souls.
In our work for God there is danger of relying too largely upon
what man with his talents and ability can do. Thus we lose sight of
the one Master Worker. Too often the worker for Christ fails to realize
his personal responsibility. He is in danger of shifting his burden
upon organizations, instead of relying upon Him who is the source
of all strength. It is a great mistake to trust in human wisdom or
numbers in the work of God. Successful work for Christ depends not
so much on numbers or talent as upon pureness of purpose, the true
simplicity of earnest, dependent faith. Personal responsibilities must
be borne, personal duties must be taken up, personal efforts must be
made for those who do not know Christ. In the place of shifting your
responsibility upon someone whom you think more richly endowed
than you are, work according to your ability.