Article by Scott C. Stevens, Pastor, Evangelist, and US Army Disabled Veteran

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand – Bible Reference Mark 8:1-9…

“In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.”

And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” And he/Jesus asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd.

And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. And there were about four thousand people.”

This is a story we are all familiar with and told in every church at least once per year. Jesus was teaching, had people following him and the crowd grew hungry, he said bring it to me and I can make Much out of the Little. This parable of Jesus helps us realize that God does not need a lot from us to make a life well lived.

When I first joined the military in 1990, I was fresh out of high school and not confident in much of life. I was a good student with a 3.5 GPA, a good athlete, and I was a good son to my single mother. Yet, I was incomplete and unsure I would make it far in life and confused about my next steps.

One of my friends said, he was going into the military and that they’d give you money towards a College Education in rhw Montgomery GI Bill and since I knew my single mother could not afford college and I did not want to cut grass all my life, I enlisted in the Army as a Tank Mechanic 63H.

During basic training I thrived. Listening to Drill Sergeants was not much different than listening to my football coach and mother. While I was successful in Physical activity, what came next I was not prepared for. AIT or Training Course for being a Tank Mechanic (63H). Since I was a slow reader and not good at remembering things, I began to struggle. Yet, I met some new friends and with their help, I passed all the tests required.

Just as I finished training, the war of Desert Storm started and we quickly found our team in the midst of fighting. That is when I learned for the first time on how to pray. I spoke to God like He was my friend and said “God I do not have much, but what I do have I give to You”. I felt this sense of peace and love overwhelm me and heard back in my spirit “I got You”.

As I was deployed in the field I began to read the Bible and found another story of a man named Moses in Exodus 3:2-3 and it was the story of the burning bush and the call for Moses, to help his people. Yet, Moses began to doubt if he was good enough or strong enough to fulfill God’s plan.

In Chapter 4 of Exodus verse 1-2…

“Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say ‘the Lord has not appeared to you’”. So the Lord said to Moses, “What is that in your hand?” He said “A rod” And when Moses threw it to the ground the rod became a serpent and God told him to reach out and take it and it became a rod again.

God showed me in this act of obedience from Moses that sometimes God has to teach us and show us before we can help and teach others. Moses had a simple rod, yet God showed him it can be MORE.

God spoke to me, there next to a tree, “You have so much more to give and to share with you to take and share it with others, take the little that you have and give it to Me and I will make it MUCH MORE than you can ever imagine.”

I did, that day, and God brought me out of Military without my wounds or mental stress. God brought me to a Beautiful Lieutenant Army nurse, I used my GI Bill to graduate top of my college class at UMBC with a psychology degree and found a good bible believing church who loved me, mentored me, and I became a youth pastor.

I have three amazing and talented adult kids, and have been invited to speak around the country and three countries overseas about God’s Love and His purpose to gave me a message to help others make “Much out of Little”.

Let me pray with you…

Lord, help me in the life as I go. Help me find peace, love and acceptance in You. Let me turn over my life, my goals, my hurts and my pains over to You. I may have a little and have lost more than I have gained in life, but take what I have, let me surrender to Your plan and bring me more. I thank you, in Jesus name, Amen.

Reach out to me and let me know HOW I can pray for you.

Read more articles from VOM Magazine here: https://www.veteransoutreachministries.org/vom-magazine/