It Is Enough

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

When we are going through trials, we may feel as though we do not have enough to overcome. This “enough” can be defined as time, money, expertise, support, and so many other needs as it relates to our situations. Life would have us to believe that our overcoming is dependent on these “enoughs”, and so when we do not have them, we become discouraged. Searching for them can almost feel like an obsession, as we pray to God for deliverance with all of our hearts. Yet, I’m unsure of this path. I do not believe that it is God’s intention for us to feel limited when life says we do not have enough. Instead, by faith, we are called to be bold in our belief that with God, just a little is always enough.

Feeding the Five Thousand

Throughout the Bible, God has shown us His power to do much with little. We can see this concept illustrated in the recounting of Jesus feeding the multitude of five thousand, which can be found in all four gospels of the Bible. As the people followed Jesus, night grew nigh. The disciples encouraged Jesus to send the people away to find food and shelter for themselves. Instead, Jesus decided to take a different approach. He told the disciples to feed them. The disciples wondered how they could do such a thing, when they only had 5 loaves and 2 fish. Jesus’ response was this:

He said, “Bring them here to Me.” Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained.

Matthew 14:18-20

Jesus could have performed this miracle without any participation from His disciples, but He didn’t. By involving His disciples, Christ showed us the role in which our own actions play as we look for deliverance. If we trust in Jesus’ plan and give Him our best… no matter how small that best is, it is enough. Christ will pour out His blessings onto us, giving us more than what we need for the journey ahead. When we exercise our faith in God, He will not forsake us, even if the path seems unclear.

The Power of Faith

One of the most well-known stories about faith can be found in Luke 17. The disciples made a request of Jesus: “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). It’s an interesting ask from a group of individuals that had seen Christ move in miraculous ways, including being able to experience the Spirit of God in their own travels and journeys (e.g. the 70 who went out). Their faith had grown during their time with Jesus, but they still wanted to know how they could have more.

So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you (Luke 17:6). A mustard seed is only a few millimeters in size. From such a small seed, the life of a plant begins. Mustard seeds are known for being easy to grow, germinating quickly, and flourishing under light. Our faith should be no different. From just the smallest amount of faith, our relationship with God begins to grow. Gratitude allows us to see God, even in the smallest of wins. We learn to recognize His presence, no matter how difficult the days. We flourish under His light, as we learn more about His grace and His love. With little, God wanted to make it clear that He could do much, because sometimes a little is all we have.

The Hem of His Garment

In Mark 5:25-28 we read about a woman, who understood the power of faith when she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment:

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

After exhausting all apparent solutions, most would not fault this woman if she had given up. But God is not one to abandon His children. Jesus was put in her path, and she was given the choice to respond. In faith, she sought out Jesus. When she found Him, she reached out and touched the hem of His garment, knowing that by merely entering the presence of God, His power would be enough to heal what no one else could. And this is the power of faith. When you feel as though there are no other solutions, there is still God. He’s always our best option. He hears our prayers and recognizes our burdens. Life may say there is not enough, but God can do much, even when we only have a little. So answer God’s call. Reach out and touch the hem of His garment. Find comfort in exercising your faith, because with God, even a little is always enough.