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Leftovers! My children used to groan at the mention of the word.  My daughter Monique said that if she enjoyed the food, there wouldn’t be any left over. Having a family of her own has her singing a different tune.

My husband and I love to find a grandchild’s leftover snowball in the freezer, boiled crawfish in the refrigerator or a few remaining brownies on the kitchen counter, but, imagine my surprise to find leftovers in the Bible.

The miracle of Jesus feeding 5,000 men, in addition to all the women and children, began with Him instructing the disciples to feed the hungry crowd. They balked at the notion, reminding Jesus of the cost of providing food for so many. Andrew pointed out a boy with five loaves and two fish which Jesus took and blessed before distributing. Matthew 14:20 reads, “They all ate as much as they wanted and they picked up 12 baskets of leftovers.”

Had the boy held onto his lunch, it would have never grown beyond five loaves and two fish, but when put in the hands of Jesus, it fed a multitude. The lesson for me is that when I hold onto something (time, gifts, and resources) it’s the most it will ever be. When I give it to Jesus, it is the least it will ever be.

Anything placed in the hands of Jesus, surrendered to His will, has the potential to be multiplied many times over and bless others. The 12 baskets of leftovers assure me of Ephesians 3:20, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”

Ronny Michel can be reached at rmichel@rtconline.com.