Message summary: Remember, God can use the leftovers!

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When they were full, He told His disciples, “Collect the leftovers so that nothing is wasted.” So they collected them and filled 12 baskets with the pieces from the five barley loaves that were left over by those who had eaten.” (John 6:12,13).

Ester has a friend who drops off surplus food, canned goods, pasta and peanut butter from time to time. Her friend in turn gets it from her grandmother who is trying to be resourceful. We don't know where she gets it from. It appears to be perfectly good food and most still have a long period before the sell-by date. We use some of it but just can't begin to use it all so it becomes somewhat burdensome for us to consider it potentially going to waste.

We know there are people that can use it but we just don't know how to get it to them. Over the years Brooksyne has found a few families that have really appreciated receiving these goods, loaded them up in our car and delivered them, but none at the present time. This food would especially be a blessing for those in great poverty in many 3rd world countries but also many right here in America.

We just don't want it to go wasted, perhaps due in part to a resourcefulness drilled into both of us by our depression era parents. So if anyone can distribute the 3 boxes of food we have please let us know!*

I am prone to misspeaking. In a sermon over 25 years ago I was illustrating Brooksyne's resourcefulness and shared how she makes delicious banana bread out of ripe tomatoes. Sad thing is I usually don't hear myself and am clueless till I see the restrained chuckles throughout the congregation. Of course I meant to say "ripe bananas". Nevertheless after the service a number of people  teasingly asked Brooksyne for her banana bread recipe that calls for overripe tomatoes!

Today's text comes from a Bible portion many of us remember from childhood: our Lord’s miracle of feeding the multitude. Jesus fed the multitude of five thousand men plus their wives and children with only five loaves of barley bread and two small fish generously donated by a young lad (presumably the proper amount of food a caring mother thought adequate for her son’s lunch).

After a prayer of thanks by Jesus and distribution of the meal the people "were full”, kind of like when you eat at the Shady Maple where we ate at last night! The scene had changed quickly from the murmuring crowd asking, "What are we going to eat?" dilemma into a veritable "All you can eat" feast. No skimpy portions here! That’s just like our Lord. He truly satisfies as seen in Psalm 107:9: "For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things".

Let's look at a less highlighted detail in our daily text. Jesus had miraculously fed 5,000 with a little boy’s lunch consisting of just five small barley loaves and two small fish. After the meal Jesus instructed His disciples to go through the crowd and collect the leftovers. This detail is amazing to me. Why be concerned for leftovers, when He could repeat the same miracle of multiplication the next day and every day?

Well, the Scripture doesn’t specifically tell us: perhaps to indicate that more was actually left over after the full meal than they started with (even after feeding over 5,000 the pieces of the original five barley loaves filled twelve baskets). Interesting detail: There is no mention of leftover fish collected, perhaps because the fish would spoil rapidly whereas bread might last for several days.

That’s pretty neat, but I don’t think that’s the reason. We find that in Jesus’ instruction when He said, “So that nothing is wasted". I just have a feeling that some of the folks had a fine meal on some day-old bread the following day! It surely brought about meaningful conversation as they recalled the miraculous multiplication that provided the leftovers they were partaking of or perhaps the disciples were later instructed to take the leftover bread to the poor.

Blessings of Hope ministry provides a great example of resourcefulness on a large scale so that nothing is wasted. I believe our resourcefulness is just one more way we can live in obedience to God. Can you think of at least one way that you could be more resourceful?

Let us be careful to look for opportunities to be more resourceful and prove to be good stewards of all that God has entrusted to us. Remember, God can use the leftovers!

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13.

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber