He Uses Little to Accomplish Much

There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many? – John 6:9 ESV

Back in the early 1980s, I began pastoring my first congregation in a remote area of Indiana. The church previously had declined, then closed for a couple of years. Now the people were in search of a pastor to help them resume services. Their area minister said to me, “David, they don’t have much to offer, but go see what you can do.”  My problem was that I was an extremely inexperienced, 22-year-old single man. I just wasn’t what most churches had in mind when they envisioned a pastor. When I arrived at the sagging, wooden structure after a two-hour drive, they had five people in attendance. I had no idea what I was supposed to do. After our initial time together they realized I didn’t have much to offer them either. We decided we made a good match. I was called to be their pastor, and we began serving the Lord together. We would have a Sunday School lesson together, take a short break, then worship together. That continued for several weeks until one Sunday a wonderful godly man and his wife, accompanied by their five children, visited our service. Soon they became members and were all a treasured part of our little church family.  One Sunday School class became two, with the new gentlemen teaching the adults and me teaching the youth/children.

I served with those precious people for 15 months, at which time I was ready to graduate from seminary and seek a full-time position closer to my home state. My next congregation was Kanawha City Baptist Church, in Charleston, West Virginia. There I eventually met a blonde-haired, blue-eyed young lady by the name of Jeannie Smith. I was determined never to date a member of my congregation, but obviously I did.

Anyway, just a few years ago Jeannie and I visited the location of that country church in Indiana. I had lost touch with the people I knew from my short time there. We were bracing for the sight of a dilapidated building. Instead, we were greeted by a well-kept structure, in much better condition than when I was there. We learned later the once tiny congregation was averaging 80-90 people each Sunday. As I understand it, it’s still doing well today.

The point of that story is to illustrate how greatly God can work through meager means that are yielded to him. You may not have much in the way of time, talent, experience, or money. Most of us don’t. Whatever little it may be, offer it to him. Romans 12:1 says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Last month FBC Waynesburg observed Commitment Sunday. Basically it was a service to indicate what you hope to offer to God in 2026 of your time, talent, experience or finances. The lesson from the Scriptures is that God only multiplies what is yielded to him.

What will you offer to God for the sake of his work?  Even though you may not have much, freely give to him. Then see how he uses and multiplies the sacrifice for his purposes and glory.

Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, ‘Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.’ So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. – John 6:11-13 ESV.

With a shepherd’s heart,

Pastor David