“There were once 5,000 tired and hungry (and probably very grumpy) people sitting on a hillside wanting their dinner. They’d come to hear Jesus that day. They came before breakfast, stayed all morning, all afternoon, and way past dinner. No one had meant to be out there that long but that’s how it was, listening to Jesus – as if time didn’t exist. People could listen to Jesus for hours, and, on this particular day, that’s just what they did. But they hadn’t brought enough food, and they couldn’t just go buy themselves a burger and fries to go because, of course, they were in the middle of nowhere with no shops or restaurants. (Besides, that kind of food wasn’t invented yet.) What would they do? Jesus’ friends had an idea. ‘Let’s send everyone home for dinner.’ ‘They don’t need to go,’ Jesus said. ‘YOU CAN GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT.”
-The Jesus Storybook Bible; “Filled Full!”
This month my team and I have been in Siem Reap, Cambodia- home of one of the great Wonders of the World, Angkor Wat. We are teaching English at a school with children grades Kindergarten through 12th grade. We teach them English, Bible, lead devotionals at night and also preach and lead church on Sundays. Our days are very long and full, but have been a blessing for sure. Our day starts at 5:30am, team prayer at 6:30am, morning devotionals at the school at 7am, class begins at 7:30am and then finishes up at 5pm with a break for lunch in the middle. I am teaching 5th and 6th graders with my teammate Michelle in the mornings and in the afternoon we teach high school.
From the very first days of being in Cambodia, there was something that really stood out to me about this area. I noticed them often and most places I went. The cows. They are disgusting; they are so skinny! They are basically skin and bones; they are [hungry]! See for yourself:
The first morning after we had arrived at our ministry site for the month, my teammate Kristina and I went for a long run around the area. As we were on the way back to the school I noticed these very skinny cows yet again. This time there were a few. As I kept running, the Father put on my heart this story- the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. He said- [These cows are representations of this place you will be this month- a representation of Siem Reap, of Cambodia.] The people here are poor. It’s very rural and just a poor area. [People are hungry- hungry physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. He said- FEED THEM. LET’S FEED THEM.]
I got home from my run and began diving into the Word and journaling. Matthew 14:13-22 tells us about Jesus feeding the five thousand.
“But Jesus said, ‘They need not go away; YOU GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT.’ They said to him, ‘We have only five loaves here and two fish.’ And he said, ‘BRING THEM HERE TO ME’…he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied” (verses 16-20).
How often do we see needy people and our exact attitude is, “Ah send them home. They can eat there. We don’t have anything to give them. We don’t have time or energy or even know what to do about it all.” How often is that us? “Us” with me included. “Just send them home, Jesus. Their hunger isn’t my problem.”
Then He says- YOU FEED THEM. But please notice the order of which this takes place. The disciples DO feed these people- but they must GET THE FOOD FROM JESUS. He tells the disciples, referring to the fish and loaves, what they did have, “bring them to me.” He says bring me what you do have- surrender it- lay it out to Me as a sacrifice- bring it to Me, trust Me, and WE WILL FEED THEM. Jesus gave the food to the disciples and then the disciples gave the food to the crowds.
Along with the cows, the hunger, and feeding people- physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually- Jesus has also been teaching me about surrender and sacrifice. He’s teaching me what He taught the disciples. I might not have much, but I must bring what I do have to Him in surrender- living daily as a “living sacrifice.” Then He gives me the “food” I need to give to the crowds, to FEED the hungry. BRING. TRUST. SURRENDER & SACRIFICE. RECEIVE. FEED.
It’s been such an incredible blessing to be in the school this month. The kids are super sweet and just all-around great kids. It’s been amazing to not only teach them English, but to teach them in such powerful ways- through scripture, worship songs, Bible stories, and lessons of life. It’s been such an incredible blessing to FEED these precious children WITH, THROUGH, AND BY Abba God.
We’re doing it! And it’s been an awesome month! 🙂
I challenge YOU- see the hunger around you today. It might not be starving cows or even starving people. It might not be mentally or emotionally hungry people. But in whatever way, there are “starving” people all around you and me every single day. We are humans. We need FOOD. We need the FOOD of the Father. The FOOD from Jesus Christ. See them today. Bring what you have to Jesus. Trust Him to provide all you need. Then bring what He gives you to the crowds.
LET’S FEED THEM! 🙂
“Well, Jesus did many miracles like this. Things people thought couldn’t happen, that weren’t natural. But it was the most natural thing in all the world. It’s what God had been doing from the beginning, of course. Taking the nothing and making it everything. Taking the emptiness and filling it up. Taking the darkness and making it light.”
-The Jesus Storybook Bible; “Filled Full!”
With love and lots of giggles and smiles from these little darlins,
Megan
