When God Multiplies What We Give Him: Trusting His Provision

Have you ever looked at what you had to offer and wondered how in the world it would be enough? It may have been food, money, time, energy, or even your own abilities. So many times what we have seems small compared to what is needed. However, throughout Scripture (and sometimes right in our own kitchens), we are reminded that God multiplies what we give Him.

When we place what we have in His hands and trust Him with the outcome, He can do far more with it than we could ever do on our own.

Join Me

When There Didn’t Seem to Be Enough

Many years ago, my son invited our youth minister and his wife over to swim. While they were swimming, I was cooking dinner.

I really wanted them to stay and eat with us. I thought about what a wonderful opportunity this would be to offer a little hospitality. Besides that, they were just fun to be around!

There was only one problem. We were trying tilapia for the first time, and I had only bought a small portion, just in case we didn’t care for it.

As I looked at what I had prepared, I knew there wasn’t enough food for everyone. I quickly looked through the freezer to see if I could find anything else to stretch the meal. I found a frozen bag of shrimp and some leftover rice!

Suddenly, our small little dinner began looking a little more promising! It started out as just a small portion of tilapia but became a nice meal of fish, shrimp, and rice with plenty to go around.

I do remember being tempted to tell my son not to eat too much so there would be enough for the guests. Instead, I decided to leave it in the Lord’s hands. He knew my heart and that I wanted to share what we had.

Wouldn’t you know it, He provided! Not only did everyone have enough to eat, but we had enough for leftovers the next day!

God Has Always Been in the Multiplying Business

That little fish and shrimp dinner reminded me of a couple accounts in the Bible when there didn’t seem to be enough.

In 2 Kings 4:42–44, a man brought Elisha twenty loaves of barley bread. Elisha told his servant to give the bread to the people to eat. The servant questioned how twenty loaves could possibly feed one hundred men, but Elisha trusted what the Lord had said.

“But Elisha answered, ‘Give it to the people to eat. For this is what the Lord says: “They will eat and have some left over.’” 2 Kings 4:43

The people ended up eating the bread and having leftovers. Does that sound familiar?

Logically, from a human viewpoint, they shouldn’t have had enough bread for all of those people. This is just another example showing that God’s provision isn’t limited by what we see.

That miracle was just a preview of something even greater that would happen many years later in the New Testament.

Jesus Feeds More Than 5,000 People

You are probably very familiar with this example of God’s provision.

A huge crowd of more than 5,000 people had gathered around Jesus, and they needed food. The disciples looked at the situation practically (like most of us would). There were thousands of hungry people and no (humanly) way possible to feed them.

Then a boy was found who had five barley loaves and two fish. Five loaves and two fish do not even come close to feeding thousands of people from a logical human viewpoint.

The important thing wasn’t how much food the little boy had, but Whose hands the food was put in. Remember I said there was no humanly way possible to feed them!

Jesus took the food, gave thanks, and had the disciples give it to the people. Everyone ate until they were satisfied. Then came the best part:

There were twelve baskets of leftovers.

God didn’t just provide barely enough; He gave in abundance!

God Can Multiply More Than Food

The Lord’s ability to multiply things is definitely not limited to just food. He has the power to multiply our:

• Time
• Talents
• Gifts and abilities
• Tithes and offerings
• Acts of kindness
• Encouragement
• Efforts for His Kingdom

The Lord can take any of these things and use them to become part of something much greater. We just need to put them them into His hands and trust Him with the results.

Bible Study Resources

If you are looking for Bible study resources, take a look at my Bible study favorites on my Amazon store.

Final Thoughts

Sometimes the things we have to offer may feel like nothing more than five loaves and two fish, or a little bit of tilapia, a bag of shrimp, and some leftover rice. But remember, the size of our offering isn’t the important part – it is that we give it to the Lord and trust Him with it.

Let’s be faithful with what God has given us and generous when He gives us the opportunities to share. When we are willing to trust Him, even when what we have doesn’t seem like enough, we may just be surprised by what He does with it.

And who knows? There may even be leftovers.

Other Related Posts

If this devotional encouraged you, you may also enjoy:

An Airplane, Lack of Faith, a Prayer Warrior, and Folders – A personal reminder of what happens when we stop relying on our own understanding and trust the Lord with the details

A Surprise Blessing – A devotional about the ways God uses people and the gifts He has given them to bless others

Weekly Life Applications From the Bible: Luke Vol. 26 – Practical lessons from Luke 12 about worry, God’s provision, earthly possessions, and using what God has given us for His purposes

Success Scriptures for the Year – Scriptures and encouragement about seeking God’s direction and trusting Him in the different areas of our lives

Until next time,

 disclosure: Amazon affiliate links and others are used on this page. Thank you for supporting Home with Grace and Joy. When you purchase an item, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. See my full disclosure and privacy policy on the website. 

“When I am filled with cares, Your comfort brings me joy.” Psalms 94:19