Opening Up
HOW MANY LOAVES DO YOU HAVE?
The orange blossoms are beginning to open, offering up their sweet fragrance for us to enjoy. It is the perfume of spring. It is almost as if the blossoms are saying thank you for the newly-felt warmth. All creation sings His praises. The soft white petals, once folded like hands in prayer, are opening up & I am thankful. Warmer days are ahead.
I believe that God teaches us so many lessons through His creation. Perhaps our lives become more fragrant when we open up. When we stop pretending to God & others & start sharing the things that are really on our hearts. Perhaps when we unfold our hands, when we open up our palms, we then offer them up - asking & then yielding to receive what God desires to give us, not in resignation but in expectation. Can your life be a sweet, fragrant offering to God as you live with palms open, willing to give & receive?
God designed the orange tree & its blossoms with needs. Nourishment via water & sunlight. Roots to soak up the rain. Leaves to turn light into food. A strong, sturdy trunk to stand tall. God designed us with needs, too. Are you allowing God & His Word to nourish you? Are you aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence falling like a refreshing rain? Have you found godly people (whether family or friends) who speak light into your life?
Branches must be attached to their tree in order to flourish. Those that are unattached can no longer blossom or bear fruit. Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). It is vital that you & I remain connected to God. He is our source of life & nourishment.
Healthy trees require healthy soil. Is your heart good ground for the Word of God to take root? Is your heart open to receive what God wants to teach you? Is your heart sensitive to the Spirit, moldable, & soft enough to make room for the seed of God’s Word?
The orange trees offer what they have been given - their fruit, their fragrance. God gives us these gifts. He designed every tree. He designed you & me. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17).
What do you have in your hands? What do you have to offer? God can do a lot with a little when you open your palms by faith & offer up what He has given you.
Jesus fed the four thousand with seven loaves of bread (Mark 8:1-10). The disciples focused on the how & the lack: “How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?” Jesus focused on the what & the facts: “How many loaves do you have?”
This question was relevant then & it is relevant now: How many loaves do you have? What gifts can you offer in this present moment? What words can you say or actions can you take to make a difference here & now? What limited resources can you start with now as you entrust God to multiply them?
In His question, Jesus invites us to focus on what we have, not what we lack & then watch Him provide through miracles. Start where you are with what you have & rely on God’s grace. You may not have the education, years of experience, connections, or confidence for that thing you want to do but you do have a miracle-working God who provides richly when you live by faith. Believe that He can transform your small offering into something great & for His glory. Seek to bless others with what you have, no matter how humble or insignificant, & watch God perform a miracle.
In the Bible, we see smallness being attributed with greatness. David, the young shepherd boy, defeated Goliath by God’s grace working on his behalf. David had the faith to know that God’s power would show up for Him in a seemingly impossible situation. When God has an assignment for you, your size, ability, & natural resources are irrelevant. The size of your faith, not the size of your physical body, is what matters. We must see our lives through the eyes of faith, not limited by the giants that stand before us in the physical. Remind yourself of how God has shown up for you before & then watch God walk before you into victory. Jehovah Nissi, the Lord our Banner. Have big faith even when resources are small. God will make a way for His will to be done. What is the physical to God? Even the wind & sea obey Him (Mark 4:35-41).
We see smallness correlated with greatness again in the parable of the mustard seed (Matthew 17:20). In the book of Mark, Jesus describes a mustard seed as small, smaller than any other seed on earth, but capable of growing into a large tree (Mark 4:31-32). In the book of Matthew, Jesus declares that faith the size of a mustard seed moves mountains. Mustard seed faith takes root & grows, displacing things, shifting the atmosphere, nesting answered prayers. Mighty things can come from seed-sized faith. Start with the little that you have.
In the parable of the mustard seed, faith is contrasted with unbelief. The disciples were unable to heal due to their unbelief. What limitations are you putting on your life due to your unbelief? What miracles might you be missing out on due to your lack of faith? In Nazareth, Jesus encountered a lack of belief from the people of His own earthly country. As a result, He was unable to perform many miracles there because of their unbelief (Matthew 13:53-58). Do you desire to see miracles break out in your life? Live by faith & begin to trust God for the impossible. Life becomes so exciting when you begin to believe higher & pray more boldly. Be open to whatever answer to prayer God gives, knowing that He withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11).
Be faithful in the small things that you may be entrusted with more (Matthew 25:21). Doing what you can with little is not only an act of faith, but a chance to prepare for greater opportunities in the future. God sees your diligence. He sees the small details, the makeshift moments. Use the little that you have to the glory of God & watch God grow that tiny seed in your hand into something greater.
Giving what you have when what you have doesn’t seem like much can be sacrificial, all-encompassing love for the Father. God sees your obedience & sacrifice. Turn to Mark 12:41-44. Out of abundance, the rich deposited much at the treasury. But out of her poverty, the poor widow gave less than a penny. What the rich gave was significant but what the poor widow gave was consequential. Jesus said that she put in her whole livelihood. God notices your faithfulness in your lack. Giving all that you have, even if it’s a little, can demonstrate more than giving a little from a lot. In whatever you do, give all your effort. Give all your prayer. Give all the talent you have, even if you’re a novice.
When you embark on a new dream or project, realize that you might not have all the skills, know-how, experience, or teammates that would make the endeavor easier. You have something better. You have God who will equip you for the path He sets you on, who meets you in your lack & performs miracles by faith.
God sees the small beginning, the humble start, & the willing heart. Open your palms to praise God, to receive nourishment in the good soil of your heart, & to offer up the little that you have in order to experience miraculous provision. Our lives can be fragrant & abundant like the orange blossoms.