God’s Amazing Mathematics

Do you recall those mathematic problems that teachers assigned to your class when you were in school? Some students quickly grasped the math principles, while others struggled. For students who were not avid readers and whose learning style was not audiovisual, word problems may have posed difficulty.

The problem was intensified when students were required to solve such problems without the aid of a calculator or paper and pen.

Interestingly, Jesus once gave His disciples a mathematical word problem: “How many baskets full of leftover fragments did you pick up?” His question was based on two miracles that Jesus previously performed.

The first was the day Jesus taught a multitude until evening. Jesus perceived they were hungry and instructed the disciples to feed them.

They responded that the cost of bread for this vast multitude was beyond them. Jesus asked whether anyone in the crowd had food; a lad had five barley loaves and two fish. Jesus blessed the food and instructed His disciples to distribute it among the crowd. Miraculously, more than five thousand men plus women and children were fed, and twelve basketfuls remained. The second time throngs had been with Jesus for three days. This time Jesus blessed seven loaves and a few fish, which fed more than four thousand people, and seven baskets of food were left over.

“The miracle of the loaves teaches a lesson of dependence upon God,” notes author Ellen White. She continues, “But when … we are brought into strait places, He will deliver us. We are not to give up in discouragement, but in every emergency we are to seek help from Him who has infinite resources at His command.”* During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, many people suffered a shortage of food and other essentials.

Many lost jobs and even loved ones.

Yet how comforting to know that God can take care of any crisis or emergency we may face in life. He has promised to supply all our needs, and we will undoubtedly still have basketsful remaining. That’s His mathematics! Whatever crises you may be facing, simply trust Him because He cares for you.

Gerene I. Joseph