What are They among so Many?

by Dr. Don Sisk

When confronted with a great need, Jesus inquired of His disciples, “Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” Jesus had been teaching for some time and a great multitude had followed Him. Evidently, the service had been long and it was time to eat.

Philip’s thinking on the subject was that there were so many people present even a great sum of money would not buy enough bread for everyone to have a small amount. That was not a viable solution.

Another disciple, Andrew, replied, “There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?”

Neither of these replies to the question seemed sufficient; however, Jesus took what they had and used it to feed a multitude.

As I sat through several sessions of our recent candidate school and conversed with the missionary candidates on a one-to-one basis, several things came to my mind.

1. Dedication - There was a great sense of thankfulness that God had brought these wonderful people to the place of complete dedication to whatever God would have them to do.

2. Christian Homes - I was thankful to God for good Bible-Christian homes from which many of these candidates had come. A great number of them were saved at a very early age. Many of them had been led to the Lord by their parents.

3. Bible-believing, Fundamental Baptist Churches - I rejoiced that they had come from good Bible-believing, fundamental Baptist churches where they had been converted, discipled and encouraged toward missionary service.

4. Christian Education - I contemplated on the Christian day schools, Bible institutes, colleges, and seminaries from which these people had come and once again thanked God for these institutions.

5. Challenge - As I looked at these young people, I thought of our world and while I was thankful for a good number of missionary candidates, I could not help but think of the six billion people that live on the face of the earth.

Fifty-eight candidates were accepted as missionaries with BIMI. If we compare this with most mission organizations, we are doing quite well; however, when we think of all of the needs – the millions and millions of people who have no access whatsoever to Bible-believing churches and thus to the gospel message – we have to cry out with Andrew of old, “What are they among so many?”

Just as Jesus took those few pieces of bread and the small fishes and blessed them, broke them, and then distributed them to His disciples who gave the food to the people, I believe that God will take these people, as He has many others prior to these, and bless them and break them and multiply them.

My prayer is that God will use not only these new missionaries but all of us to effectively and efficiently reach our generation with the gospel message. In the eyes of the world, we may seem relatively small. In fact, in the eyes of one another we may appear to be totally insufficient for the job, but thank God the battle is the Lord’s. He is in control! He is sovereign! He is omnipotent! He is omniscient! The work is His! I believe as we humbly give ourselves to Him, as did this little lad in giving of his lunch to the Lord, that He will do some marvelous things for and through us.