Turning Shortages Into Overages
Matthew 15:33
“And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?”
The disciples faced a problem in that Jesus told them to get some food to feed the crowd. When they went through this large crowd, they found that all they had to feed this multitude was seven loaves of bread and a few little fishes. They certainly had a shortage of resources. They couldn’t run to the nearest fast food restaurant to get more food. They couldn’t call the closest pizza establishment to feed this crowd. Somehow they had to stretch the loaves of bread and fish to feed this great multitude.
This shortage that they faced seemed impossible to overcome. The good thing for the disciples was that they had the person of Jesus Christ in their presence, and when He is present shortages can become overages. When the disciples realized they were powerless, that was when Jesus could do His work. Jesus took the bread and fish and multiplied it to feed this great multitude. A shortage with man was an opportunity to reveal the power of God.
When you step out by faith to serve the LORD, you are going to find that there will be times when it seems you have a shortage or resources. The shortage could come in the form of finances, manpower or materials, but you must realize that your shortage is not a shortage with God. When you face shortages in life, there are some things you need to do to turn them into overages.
First, don’t quit. You will notice that Jesus didn’t run from the problem, but he took what He had and decided to make it work. Imagine if Jesus or the disciples would have given up, there would be no story like this to talk about today. When you are faced with a shortage in your life or ministry, don’t take that as a cue to give up. Take it as an opportunity to find a way to make it work.
Second, organize what you have so it can be used it to it’s greatest capacity. Jesus didn’t want to have waste, so the best way to keep from wasting what He had was to organize the crowds. Much of our shortages in life come from a lack of organizing what we have. Organizing your finances will keep you from wasting money. Organizing manpower will help you to use the manpower you have to its greatest capacity.
Third, pray! This is the most important part of turning a shortage into an overage. You can work yourself into the grave, or you can pray it down from Heaven. God is looking for an opportunity to show His power. When shortages come, don’t forget to pray. When you don’t know what to do, don’t forget to pray. Prayer is the resource that turns shortages into overages. Prayer is what allows you to tap into the resources of Heaven. George Müller would often have shortages of food to feed his orphans, but he prayed and God turned the shortages into overages.
I don’t know what your shortage is today, but if you are saved you have the resource of prayer to turn it into an overage. Stop fretting and start praying. Trust God and let Him show you His ability to turn a shortage into an overage. God is very capable to help you with your shortage, but you must go to Him in prayer and ask for His help. Your shortage is simply a prayer shortage.