Read Matthew 15:21-28
This is definitely a strange encounter between Jesus
and a Canaanite woman as He challenged her with all the social and religious
biases. According to the standards of
the day, this woman was unworthy and inadequate. Jesus was asking her, “What gives you the
right to even ask?” Let’s face it; if worthiness and adequacy were the
qualifications, we too would fail the test.
2 Corinthians 3:5 tells us that we are not even adequate to consider
ourselves adequate. In an awe-inspiring
statement of faith, this mom responded that it wasn’t about her being qualified
or worthy, but all about Jesus. The crumbs of God were sufficient to meet her
greatest need, her daughter!
Every attribute of Jesus is so absolute that even a
sliver of His perfect nature is ample. No matter how great our need all we need
is Jesus. The least of Him is more than
enough.
I truly believe this to be true. However, recently
while interceding for a little one diagnosed with a brain tumor, I declared by
faith that His crumbs are enough, but still asked for the whole loaf. In my own strange encounter with Christ, the
Holy Spirit replied, “Ask for five!” It was such an unexpected prompting that I
knew it did not come from my imagination.
In 1 Samuel 21:1-6, David fled the insanity of Saul. He
went to the priests in Nob to get godly counsel and provisions. Unfortunately,
panic kept him from getting the counsel he needed, but he did ask for bread. “Give me
five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.” The only bread they had on hand was five of
the twelve loaves of the Bread of Presence. This was very special bread. Once a week the priests baked twelve loaves
and placed them on a special table inside the inner Tabernacle. A week later, in what is called the "most holy" privilege of the priesthood, they ate the bread, as fresh as the day it was baked. (Leviticus 24:5-9) Week after week, month after month, year after year, the miracle of freshness continued. It was a constant reminder of the
ever-fresh presence and provisions of God.
What a wonderful reminder to David that God was right there and actively
involved!
Asking for five loaves was asking that this struggling
family be given an abundance of God’s presence in their chaos and fears. It was also the provision of the divine and
the unique that would meet their need with what belonged to God.
Five loaves of bread were
also key “players” in another drama. See
Matthew 14:15-21. This time it was Jesus
asking, “Give me five loaves of bread, or
whatever can be found.” These were
much smaller loaves, rolls actually. Five
little loaves were like crumbs compared to 5000 men, plus women and children. He
took those five loaves and fed a multitude.
Just think what God can do
with the five loaves of His presence we receive from Him just by asking. Given
back to Him to be used for His glory and purpose He can faith-feed more than we
can possibly imagine. Meeting this need
is just the beginning.
I am asking for five
loaves. Join me!
Making It Personal
What is the biggest need
burdening your heart right now?
Which requires more
faith from you: believing the crumbs of God are sufficient to meet this need,
or asking for five loaves? Push your
faith and ask for the hardest.
The Lord invites us to be
the middleman in this miracle of grace and glory. How is this expressed in David’s prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:11-14?
What gives you the right to
ask God for anything?
What is the promise of
Hebrews 4:14-16? Faithfully and
prayerfully apply it to your big need.
