Cherish the AdventÖrnek

The following devotion is written from the perspective of the boy whose five loaves and two fish were given in faith to Jesus when He fed the 5,000.

Ever since I was little, I always loved the story of David. And something that always stood out to me was when he went to help his brothers. He went to the front of the battle lines when Israel was fighting the Philistines.

You’ve heard the story: how Goliath was intimidating our soldiers and mocking the tribes of Israel. Jesse sent his youngest son David with some cheese and bread to bring lunch to his brothers. He hoped David would come back with a report and a token from the front to show that Israel would survive the giant. The father just wanted to know that his boys were okay.

Off David went. With his lunch and his pure faith in God. And you know the rest of the story.

So, as a kid, I came prepared with food wherever I went. I was imitating my hero David. It was always an act of faith. I also had a pretty high metabolism. But I would always bring lunch.

Who knew? Maybe I would encounter a foe or slay a giant. And my ticket to the front lines of the battle would be my basket of food, just like David.

The day I went to hear Jesus with the crowds, it was the same: I went with a packed lunch, as was my habit.

You gotta understand. Jesus created a sensation in those days wherever he went. You were lucky if you could get a seat near him, up close, to see the expression on his face when he called out the Pharisees or told a joke.

So, we all just hurried for the best spot in the crowd to get to the front so we could be near him.

I don’t blame everybody for not remembering to bring food. They were in a hurry because maybe if they got to the front of the line, he’d see them. Maybe Jesus would reach out and touch them. Answer a need. Heal their sickness.

Everything Jesus touched, he transformed. For me, that day, it was five loaves and two fish that he transformed into a feast for thousands.

I hoped God would use my lunch to slay a giant one day. Instead, he took my little bit of food and fed an enormous crowd.

Jesus’ advent creates the possibility for miraculous change at any moment. It creates the possibility for multiplication. Jesus receives our little faith and does more with it than we could ever imagine. And that’s the kind of gift I want to give away at Christmas.

Today, take a moment to light a candle for Advent, the candle of Faith.

Jesus receives the faith of even the smallest child. May your faith kindle and burn brightly for God this Advent season and every season of your life. Amen.