Day 3: Where Jesus Gave Thanks

Some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. (John 6:23)

Jesus had fed more than five thousand people with the five loaves and two fish that a little boy had in the crowd. Later on, Jesus and His disciples had crossed over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. The people looked for Jesus and realized that He was gone, but His disciples had taken the one available boat.

We read in the Gospel of John that some boats then landed near “the place where the Lord had given thanks,” and the people took those boats to go in search of Jesus.

Wait! Are we missing something here? The account in the book of John doesn’t characterize the location where the boats landed as being “the place where Jesus performed the miracle” or “the place where Jesus broke the bread” or “the place where Jesus distributed the food to five thousand people." Instead, it says “the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.” The emphasis was on the fact that the food was multiplied when Jesus gave thanks. In other words, it was as He gave thanks that the miracle happened!

Jesus had used what the little boy had—not what he didn’t have. In the same way, He asks us today to give Him what we have—our money, our time, our energy— for the furtherance of His kingdom. Think of it: most of us would not think of giving thanks if we had only five loaves and two fish to feed such a multitude. Instead, we would complain—and we would miss out on the miracle and the blessing.

If we have a need today, why don’t we focus on what we do have—not on what we don’t have—and begin to thank God for it? As we do, we will witness the miracle of provision not only for our own needs but also for the needs of those around us.