Giving thanks before God provides

Mark 8:1-10

8 In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them, 2 ‘I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way—and some of them have come from a great distance.’ 4 His disciples replied, ‘How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?’ 5 He asked them, ‘How many loaves do you have?’ They said, ‘Seven.’ 6 Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd. 7 They had also a few small fish; and after blessing them, he ordered that these too should be distributed. 8 They ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 9 Now there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. 10 And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

The crowd is not in good shape – they are hungry, without enough physical reserves to allow them to walk home. (And as the text says some had walked a great distance.) In the midst of this crisis of not enough – what are seven loaves of bread going to do for all this crowd – Jesus tells the disciples to have the crowd sit down because they are about to eat. And Jesus “giving thanks” to God for what they have – giving thanks for the not enough – for this is before the miracle, breaks the bread and as it is passed out there is enough for all. Miraculously everyone is fed and there is food left over – clear proof that everyone had enough to eat.  

In the midst of what seemed to not be enough, God provides what is needed and more than that. How often in our lives have we experienced that same thing? Times when there did not seem to be enough – not enough money, not enough food, not enough strength to carry on, not enough… (fill in the blank) – and then God stepped in and we were provided with enough. We have been there – we need to remind ourselves of those stories – of those moments when God acted, when the Holy Spirit strengthened us.

Will we when those moments of seeming scarcity arise – times when there does not seem to be enough – will we follow Jesus’ example and give thanks to God for providing enough - -even though we have not yet seen the enough yet? Will we be able to trust that God will provide even when we have not yet seen what God will provide? Can we be thankful before the generosity of God is revealed?

PRAYER:

We rejoice, O Lord, for the ways you have provided us with more than enough, even in times when we were uncertain you have provided. Teach us the trust that we might thank you for your provision, even before we see it, knowing that you are the Lord our provider. In Jesus’ name. Amen.