Little to Give

Bible Reading: John 6:1-12

“Thanks for helping me make this bread for dinner, Tori,” Mom said as she whisked together flour and salt.

“You’re welcome,” said Tori with a frown.

“What’s wrong?” Mom asked. “You love baking.”

“I was thinking about our neighbors.” Tori sighed. “Ever since Jairus’s dad got sick, I don’t see him playing outside, and he always looks sad at school.”

“Well, why don’t we bring them some of this bread once we finish?”

“But we can’t make his dad get better. How can baking bread make a difference?”

“Hmm.” Mom looked thoughtful as she measured a cup of water. “It can be hard when we don’t feel like what we can do is enough. Can you get the yeast?”

Tori carried over a jar. “What does this do in bread? It looks like dirt, and your recipe doesn’t call for much.”

“Yeast is strange,” Mom agreed. “But even though it doesn’t look important, without yeast, the bread would be flat and dense.” She mixed a small spoonful of yeast into the dough.

Tori felt confused. “That’s all you’re using? If it’s so important, why don’t you need more of it?”

“Even though yeast is small, a little goes a long way!” Mom smiled and began kneading the dough. “It grows and makes the entire loaf rise.” Mom paused her kneading. “It reminds me a bit of how you’re feeling. Remember that story in the Bible about the boy who gave his lunch to Jesus?”

Tori nodded. “Yeah, I read about it in my devotions this morning. Thousands of people were hungry, but he only had his small lunch to share.”

“That’s right,” Mom said. “Even though he didn’t have much to give, he trusted Jesus with what he had, and Jesus multiplied that food to feed thousands of people! It doesn’t matter how old you are or how much you have. Jesus can use the simplest, smallest actions of love to grow His kingdom—just like how a little bit of yeast makes the whole loaf grow!”

“Really?” Tori’s eyes lit up. “Well then, maybe I’ll make a card to go along with the bread to remind Jairus’s family that Jesus loves them and that they can trust Him to be with them through this.”

Mom smiled. “That’s a great idea!”

– Abby Ciona

How About You?

Do you ever feel like you’re too young to make a difference or your actions are too small to help others? Know that Jesus uses even the smallest acts of love to change lives. Look for ways to help and encourage others and show them Jesus’s love. Make God’s kingdom grow!

Today’s Key Verse: Luke 13:20-21 (NIV) [The kingdom of God] is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.

Today’s Key Thought:

Sharing Jesus’s love changes lives