Great things usually start small. It has often been said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step. It is from what you have that God will provide what you need. Use what you have. Sometimes people despise what they have because, in their estimation, it is insignificant. What such people fail to understand is that God values little if it is a seed for tomorrow’s harvest. Those who look down on and neglect  their seed today will forfeit their harvest tomorrow.
    When the master of the servants who were given talents to trade, entrusted them with his wealth, it was not the amount each of the servants got that mattered, but how he managed it. The servant who got one talent was not chastised because of that. The Bible says each of them was given talents according to his ability (Matt 25:14-29). Therefore, it would have been unfair on their master’s part, if he had required an equal amount of talents from each of those servants, as return on investment. What he simply wanted was increase proportionate to each man’s investment.
    As in the case of the servants, God has given each of us potential according to His foreknowledge. His interest is in how we develop and use it. He will  appraise our qualification for promotion on the basis of our efforts towards the effective development and deployment of the potential. For “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much…” (Lk 16:10). Therefore, be faithful enough to take the next step as the HolySpirit leads you.
    God does not usually tell us everything we want to know before we make a move. However, He tells us what we need to know. God wants you to trust Him enough to obey His instructions, without having the big picture. It is as you walk in the light of revelation you already have, that God will give you more. This is why the Bible says, “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.” (Prov 4:18 NIV). Not until Jesus did something with the five loaves and two fish that were available, did anything significant happen. There is much we can learn from that account in the Bible.
     This is the account : “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.  “Bring them here to me,” he said.  And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.” (Matt 14:17-20 NIV ). We can learn the following lessons.
    Jesus accepted the five loaves and two fish, even though they were grossly inadequate to meet the need on the ground. He did not despise what was available, because He knew that God’s provision is usually in seed form. Have you wholeheartedly accepted your potential, knowing it is the seed of your greatness in the kingdom of God? Do you despise or even compare what you have with what anyone else has. Those who compare themselves with themselves, the Bible says, are not wise. In addition, whatever you despise will not appreciate in your hands.
    Having received the loaves and the fish, He looked up to heaven. It is the God factor in your life that makes the fundamental difference. Nothing, humanly speaking, could have made the meagre resources adequate to feed such a mammoth crowd. Therefore, in recognition of this fact, Jesus did the right thing : He looked up to God. It was an assignment from God that Jesus should feed the multitude with what was available. Have you discovered something God wants you to do? Do the resources at your disposal seem insignificant to do it? You should look up to heaven for help. The Bible says,  “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.” (Rom 10:12).
    Then, He gave thanks to God. Jesus so believed in God’s faithfulness, that He gave thanks to God before the answer to His prayer manifested. To express  gratitude to God before you see the fulfilment of His promises, is a demonstration of trust in Him—an attitude of the heart which honours Him. How often have we nullified our prayers by our ingratitude to God? Whenever we are anxious and whine about everything, we demonstrate unbelief. It is important therefore, to keep a right attitude towards God, even when our circumstances contradict His promises to us.
    Finally, He broke the loaves and gave to the disciples who, in turn, shared them among the people. Jesus knew the time had come to begin to put what He had to use, practically. He had taken the necessary Godward steps, and it was time to take the equally but secondarily necessary manward steps of breaking and distributing the loaves and the fish. The result was that the loaves and the fish kept multiplying until there was leftover, after everyone had eaten to his or her satisfaction.  Similarly, you need to put your talents to work, one step at a time, for God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all you ask or think (Eph 3:20). Shalom.