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The Desire of Ages
When the question comes home to your heart, “Whence shall we
buy bread, that these may eat?” let not your answer be the response of
unbelief. When the disciples heard the Saviour’s direction, “Give ye
them to eat,” all the difficulties arose in their minds. They questioned,
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Shall we go away into the villages to buy food? So now, when the
people are destitute of the bread of life, the Lord’s children question,
Shall we send for someone from afar, to come and feed them? But
what said Christ? “Make the men sit down,” and He fed them there. So
when you are surrounded by souls in need, know that Christ is there.
Commune with Him. Bring your barley loaves to Jesus.
The means in our possession may not seem to be sufficient for
the work; but if we will move forward in faith, believing in the all-
sufficient power of God, abundant resources will open before us. If
the work be of God, He Himself will provide the means for its accom-
plishment. He will reward honest, simple reliance upon Him. The
little that is wisely and economically used in the service of the Lord of
heaven will increase in the very act of imparting. In the hand of Christ
the small supply of food remained undiminished until the famished
multitude were satisfied. If we go to the Source of all strength, with
our hands of faith outstretched to receive, we shall be sustained in
our work, even under the most forbidding circumstances, and shall be
enabled to give to others the bread of life.
The Lord says, “Give, and it shall be given unto you.” “He that
soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he that soweth with
blessings shall reap also with blessings.... And God is able to make
all grace abound unto you; that ye, having always all sufficiency in
everything, may abound unto every good work; as it is written,—
“He hath scattered abroad, he hath given to the poor:
His righteousness abideth forever.
“And He that supplieth seed to the sower and bread for food, shall
supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of
your righteousness: ye being enriched in everything unto all liberal-
ity, which worketh through us thanksgiving to God.”
Luke 6:38
;
2
Corinthians 9:6-11
, R. V., margin.
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