God uses children, God uses you!

Note

As this devotion was originally made for the afternoon programme on the feeding of the 5000 men, the story from John 6:1-15 is not told as such, as the children had already experienced it in practice during the afternoon;nner had been made, the story from John 6:1-15 is not told per se, as the children have already experienced it practically during the afternoon.

Andacht

Interesting. Plötually, there was plenty of food. And from where did this food come? Exactly a little boy brought this food over and then Jesus miraculously multiplied it. But without this boy's food, all the people would have had to go home again because they were hungry. They wouldn't have been able to eat like we are right now. God used this boy so that all the people would have enough to eat. And just as He needs this boy, He needs you.

In this event in the Bible, one little person, one child, made all the difference. A child no different than you. A little unassuming boy. He helped Jesus to be able to show his kingdom glory to people one more time by performing a miracle. And in doing so, this boy helped him. Jesus needed this boy, and just as he needed this boy, he needs all of you.

In the Bible, however, there is more than just this story. There are also many other stories in which God or Jesus used someone like you, a child, to demonstrate their greatness. Another story, for example, would be the story of Naaman. How many of you know all about Naaman? Naaman was a Syrian general. One day he fell ill with a terrible leprosy and he tried in all possible ways to get rid of it. But he did not succeed. Suddenly God told a girl who was a slave in Naaman's house to tell Naaman to go to the prophet Elisha. Finally Naaman went and he got well again. And this whole miracle of healing could only happen because God told a girl to send Naaman to the prophet Elisha. This God has used the girl. With the help of this girl, God could show Naaman how powerful he is. And just as He needed that girl, He needs you too.

But it's not just in the Bible that people like that are needed. No, all of you are needed by God, too. Maybe you can't put your finger on what God needs you for, but He needs each and every one of you. Afterwards you can think together in the small group about where God could use you. I think that the boy in the Bible did not think that Jesus would need his food. He probably just took that food with him in the morning because he thought he would be gone for a long time and therefore he could still use some food. But in the end, God needed this boy and that's exactly how He needs you.

In the end, I just want to tell you again that God needs you. You are important to him. A lot of times you probably don't realize it. It may be just little things. Afterwards, in the small group, think with your leader about where God might have needed you. But even though we often don't realize that God is using us, I think it was the same with the children in the stories. The girl may have just suddenly thought she needed to tell Naaman to go to Elisha. But God needed her, and for something good. And the boy may have gotten hungry in the morning and that's why he took some food with him. But God needed just that. And that's exactly how he needs you and you and you.

Bible text the feeding of the 5000 men

John 6, 1-15 according to New Geneva Übersetzung

1 Some time later Jesus went by boat to the east side of the Sea of Galiläa (also called the Sea of Tiberias).
2 Large crowds followed him there because they saw the miracles he was doing on the sick.
3 He went up on a mountain and sat there with his disciples.
4 It was just before the days when the Jews were celebrating their Passover.
5 When Jesus saw the crowds coming to him, he asked Philip, »Where can we buy enough bread to feed all these people?«
6 Jesus wanted to test him with this question; he himself knew exactly what he wanted to do.
7 Philip replied, »Even for two hundred denarii you would not get enough bread to give everyone even a small piece.«
8 Another boy, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Jesus:
9 »Here is a boy who has fünf barley loaves and two fish. But what is that for so many people?«
10 »See to it that the people sit down,« Jesus commanded. The place where they were was thick with grass. When they were all seated (the number of men was about five thousand), Jesus took the loaves, thanked God for them, and distributed them among the crowd. He did likewise with the fish, ´and everyone a;,` as much as he wanted.
12 When the people were full, he said to his disciples, »Gather up what has üremained, so that nothing may spoil.«
13 The youths gathered up what was left over of the five barley loaves übrig after all had eaten of them, and filled twenty ülf caskets with them.
14 When the people realized what a miracle Jesus had done, they said: »This is indeed the Prophet, ´of whom it is said that`he shall come into the world!«
15 Jesus knew that they would come next and try to make him king by force. Therefore, he withdrew back to the mountain to be alone.

Bible text: The healing of Naaman

2nd Kings 5, 1-18 according to Good News

1 Naaman, the army commander of the king of Syria, was sick with leprosy. He was a brave soldier, and the king thought highly of him, because through him the Lord had given victory to the Syrians. In his house was a young girl who had been stolen from Israel by Syrian soldiers on a raid. She had become a servant to his wife.
3 Once she said to her mistress, »If only my master could go to the prophet who lives in Samaria! He would cure him of his sickness."
4 Naaman went to the king and told him what the girl had said.
5 »Why don't you go there«, replied the king, »I will give you a letter to take to the king of Israel.« Naaman set off. He took with him seven talents of silver, a talent and a half of gold, and ten festive garments.
6 He »handed the letter to the king of Israel, saying: »I beg you to receive my servant Naaman kindly and to cure him of his leprosy.«
7 When the king had read the letter, he tore his robe and cried out: »I am not God after all! He alone has power over death and life! The king of Syria asks me to heal a man of his leprosy. Anyone can see that he is only looking for an excuse to start a war! When Elisha, the man of God, heard of this, he said to the king, "Why have you torn your robe? Send the man to me! Then he will know that there is a prophet in Israel!«
9 Naaman went with all his horse-drawn chariots and stopped in front of Elisha's house.
10 The prophet sent out a messenger and said to him, »Go to the Jordan and immerse yourself in it seven times! Then you will be cured of your leprosy.Naaman was indignant and said, "I had thought that he would come out to me and stand before me, and then he would call the Lord his God by name, moving his hand back and forth over the diseased spot and so heal me of my leprosy.
12 Is not the water of Abana and Parpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? If so, I could have bathed in them and been healed!" He was angry and wanted to return home. But his servants spoke to him and said, "Sir, remember, if the prophet had asked you to do something difficult, you would certainly have done it. But now he has only said, "Bathe yourself and you will be well!" Should you not do it all the more, then? Then he was completely healed, and his skin became as clean as a child's.
15 With his whole retinue he returned to Elisha and stood before him and said, "Now I know that the God of Israel is the only God in all the earth. Accept, therefore, from me a small gift of thanksgiving."
16 But Elisha replied, "As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I accept nothing."
18 On one point, however, may the Lord be lenient with me: When my king goes to the temple of his god Rimmon to pray, I must support him with my arm and at the same time prostrate myself with him – may the Lord forgive me!«

Image credits

• Caption: Ramun Badertscher, www.ramunbadertscher.ch

File reference

• Devotion.pdf: © Lukas Leuenberger / Jungschar Brunnen