Offer what you have.

What is available?

A woman needed a miracle. People needed to eat.

A woman had some oil. A boy had some bread and fish.

Here are parts of their stories, and possibly a new start to mine or yours.

Story one: "Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil." (2 Kings 4:1-2 KJV)

WE are always looking at what we do not have. This woman had no husband. This woman had no money. When she did look at what she did have, all she saw was her debt. Elisha, a man of faith, saw God first and then wanted to know what the woman did have available.

She had a pot of oil.

She had neighbors.

Finally! Elisha was used of God to fill several pots. The woman brought her one pot of oil and called on her neighbors to borrow empty vessels. God filled those vessels, the woman sold the oil, and she paid her debt.

Second story: "Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. 'There’s a youngster here with five barley loaves and a couple of fish! But what good is that with all this mob?'" (John 6:8-9 The Living Bible)

See it? The boy had five loaves of bread and some fish. Philip did look at what they did have -- too many people! Philip also looked at what they did not have -- food, or money to buy it! But...

They had some fish.

They had some loaves.

They had JESUS!

Philip failed to consider what they did have. They had a boy with fishes and loaves and the Lord Jesus, and, let's not forget, Jesus commands all the universe. Nothing is too difficult for God.

Stop telling yourself, God, and anyone listening what you don't have. What do you have? What can you turn over into God's hand and let Him do something with? What is available? Do you see the invisible, yet very powerful, able, willing hand of God?

Indeed, what is available? Will we release it into God's hand?