"They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!" (Matthew 14:16).

People are hungry—starving, really, but most of them don't even know it. Their relentless search for something, anything, to fill their emptiness illustrates their famished condition.

Any true believer recognizes this. We talk about the world's "lostness" and people's need for the only thing that will satisfy—Christ Himself. We even plead with Christ to meet their desperate needs. But Jesus simply replies, "You feed them."

In Matthew 14:13-21, often called the "Feeding of the Five Thousand," Jesus gives a profound lesson in faith and ministry.

You Can't—He Never Said You Could

He first reminds us that it's our responsibility to feed the multitudes the spiritual, life-giving bread. The disciples' immediate excuse was inability: "We have here only five loaves and two fish."

We don't have enough. Any believer who thinks he has the resources within himself to meet the needs of others is deluded and insanely proud.

How can one human satisfy the spiritual needs of another when it is Christ alone who satisfies? The essential admission for the believer longing to feed others is this: "I do not have this in myself."

Without this recognition, we will completely fail in our sincere attempts to help others. We must embrace the paradox of our responsibility and our inadequacy all at the same time.

He Can—He Always Said He Would

Jesus' reply to the disciples' honesty moves us down the path of life-giving, bread-feeding ministry. He says, in essence, "Take what you have, and give it to Me. Let Me bless it and break it, and it will be enough to feed everyone today who needs food."

What a lesson in faith! Christ does not need our elaborate provisions to use us in ministry. He wants us. He desires our five loaves and two fish, humbly given to Him in childlike surrender. He can break and empower and expand them to meet every need present around us, every day. He needs our surrender; we need His power; the world needs His bread.

If you doubt your abilities, you are wise. All you have are five loaves and a few fish. But if you doubt His abilities, you are missing the ride of faith, the joy of being used, the thrill of seeing the supernatural, the happy privilege of seeing people fed with bread from heaven. Trust Him. People are hungry, and spiritual leaders can access heaven's resources to feed them.

Paul said he was with people "in weakness and in fear and in much trembling" but also "in demonstration of the Spirit and of power," so that their faith would not rest on him "but on the power of God" (1 Cor. 2:3-5). If you walk by faith, you can feed any multitude God places before you.

Don't ever say, "But I just can't provide what these people need!" This statement merely illustrates your unbelief. You can't—God never said you could; He can—He always said He would!