When Jesus fed the 5,000, it happened in a moment of crisis: A huge crowd of people were gathered, and only five loaves of barley bread and two small fish were available. In the midst of this scenario, Jesus’ first response was telling all the people to have a seat! This was very possibly Jesus’ way of telling the crowd to relax and trust him. Next, Jesus took the small portion that was on hand and multiplied it – even beyond what everyone could eat! Jesus has the same instructions for us as we see all the challenges of our world and struggle to know what to do next.

First, we sit with our heavenly Father and gain a deeper trust in his abiding care. Second, we allow him to take the small portion that we can offer and let him multiply it to make a difference in the world.

The news channels and social media feeds are inundated with reports of human trafficking, violence and depressing events. It can be easy to see so much negative happening and become numb to the idea that we have the power to make a difference. We cannot change all the evil things that happen, but we can change the way we respond.

When we change our response by trusting and praying:

1. Lives can be rescued.
2. People can be reached.
3. Hope can be ignited.