This story is found in Mark 6:32-44, Luke 9:10-17, and John 6:1-13.
This morning we continue our series entitled, “The Year of Supernatural Manifestation”, with our mini-series on “The Miracles of Jesus”. We have been looking at the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 for a couple of days. Let’s go back to the story today.
When faced with a hungry crowd, Jesus received a small seed (two fish and five loaves of bread), and multiplied it to feed the entire crowd until everyone was full. In the end, there were 12 baskets of food left over. The need was in the crowd, today we will see how the seed to meet the need was also in the crowd.
A couple of messages ago I focused in on the fact that our God is a God of abundance and overflow. Yesterday I focused on the fact that our God is a God of order. In today’s message I will focus in on the principle of sowing and reaping.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. God honors the principle of sowing and reaping. I taught a series on this (here is the link: Sowing and Reaping). Please visit the series page and be blessed.
2. The principle of “seedtime and harvest” will remain while the earth remains (see Gen 8:22). This principle is not limited to plants. Paul said that God would not be made a fool of; He will see to it that we reap whatever we sow (Gal 6:7).
3. God has established a system of cause-and-effect, sowing-and-reaping, and the free will of humans in the earth. In this system we reap whatever we sow. Good or bad, if you don’t like the harvest you are reaping, it is time to check the seed you are sowing. The only way to change the harvest, is to change the seed!
4. Sowing and reaping in the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000:
a) There was clearly a need: over 5,000 hungry people.
b) The need exceeded the resources. They did not have enough money to purchase that amount of food, nor could they find a place to provide it.
c) The need was in the crowd. Guess what? The seed was in the crowd!
d) The provision did not come from the disciples, nor really from Jesus. In the the accounting system of God’s Kingdom, the little boy in the text is the one credited for being used of God to provide what was needed. The boy provided the seed, God provided the harvest.
e) Once the seed was given, Jesus did what God will always do with seed: multiply it and produce a harvest.
5. There is a seed for every need!
a) Your harvest is tied to your seed. You cannot expect a harvest if you do not have any seed in the ground. So, whatever your need is today, ensure you sow seed towards it.
b) Whatever you sow — it could be love, mercy, forgiveness, good works, kindness, benevolence, food, money, etc. — you will reap.
c) God has ground out there waiting for your seed. You may think you are waiting on God to provide the harvest and He may be waiting on you to provide the seed!
Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. This year I will walk in Your best like never before. This year I will experience divine harvest, because I continually sow divine seed. I am a sower, therefore I declare that I shall also be a reaper. I sow love, mercy, forgiveness, kindness, benevolence, food, peace, and money; and I shall reap what I sow! You are the Lord of the Harvest. You receive everything I sow and You cause my seed to multiply in Your hands. You then return it to me in the form of a harvest. Since I am always sowing, I am not against reaping. I don’t have a problem with receiving a harvest on every seed sown. And I loose a seed for every need. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
