John 6:12

So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.”

John 6:12

Here we have a biblical mandate to not waste leftovers after a meal. Or did Jesus have other intentions when instructing the disciples to gather the leftover food after He miraculously supplied a meal for 5,000 plus people from a measly five loaves of bread and two small fish?

Had Jesus not instructed them to gather the leftovers, the disciples would not have known that there were 12 baskets of food left over. What is the significance of 12 baskets of food leftover you ask? It’s to communicate that Jesus doesn’t just meet the bare minimum of a human need, He goes over and beyond. He supplies supernaturally in a way that leaves you full and marveling.

The lesson then is this: don’t short change what Jesus is able to do and don’t miss the opportunity to fully reflect on what Jesus accomplished. Sometimes we pray for something and we get that need met, but don’t take the time to gather the full story and we miss how Jesus not only met the need but went over and above it.

We don’t want to lose out on the opportunity to see how great our God is by not getting the details and miss seeing or telling the whole story. Our God is awesome, and in our fast paced, instant gratification tendencies, we don’t always allow ourselves to see just how awesome He truly is. Take some time to gather more often, that way nothing is lost and you don’t miss out!

Pastor Jason Witt