According to 1 Kings 4:42-44, Elisha was instrumental in multiplying the food for one hundred hungry men assembled in one place. After you read the entire passage, you will notice several significant facts and lessons.

First, it takes a generous heart to make a difference in crucial times. Even if the world’s needs are not covered entirely, one person can touch one hundred lives. The Bible says, “Some [seed will produce] a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much” Matthew 13:8. Imagine if every member of the Wisconsin Conference could be involved in this miraculous process. What could be the results?

Second, the initial donation was considered insufficient for the reality of that particular need. Men eat more than women and eat more when they are in a group with less available resources. The fact that the food is brought to the servant of God is the secret of the unexpected abundance. God is the One who inspired the donor and is in charge of multiplying the minimum resources to cover many more needs.

Third, the food was multiplied as it was given to the people. Something magical happened. Everyone who stayed in line to be served received what was necessary, and after the second and the final invitation, they gathered the leftovers. Our resources are multiplied not when we keep them in the bank, but when we generously decide to bring them to the Lord.

Elisha’s story is a perfect preview of the miracles Jesus will perform on behalf of His contemporary fellows’ countrymen. We observe the same paradigm of meeting the needs of people: a generous heart, resources are brought to Jesus, and the multiplication process starts when they are shared with others.

I encourage you to bring your material and spiritual resources to the Lord. Use your talents and spiritual gifts for the church and your community, and you will see an incredible abundance of His blessings. You don’t need to be concerned about the size of your offering. The secret is in bringing them to the Lord and sharing them with others. God will multiply them exponentially with eternal results.

Titus Naftanaila, President