As most of you guys know I am a huge sports fan. I love all sports, especially basketball. There's seems to be 1 time during the NBA season that get's my attention most: The Trade Deadline. The trade deadline is the date set every year that is the last time you can trade players on your team. Some teams use this time to make a trade to more players to help their team. Some use it to trade away players to save money for their team. Some use it to trade players to get another draft pick in next years NBA draft. Usually right before the trade deadline there are several deals being made. Most of the time there is usually at least 1 big time superstar involved in a trade. That's what makes it exciting. Your team has a chance to land a trade that could bring you the missing peace to lead your team to a championship.
There's a story in the Gospels about a little boy making a trade with Jesus. In John 6:1-13 we read about 5,000 men that were present with Jesus and they were hungry (I can't think of much worse that having 5,000 hungry men all wanting to eat at the same time). I'm pretty sure that not even the great Golden Corral could handle this problem. Not to mention, the Bible says that there were 5,000 men present. That's not counting the women and other children that were there. Some estimate that there could have been 10,000 hungry people there that day.
This is when the trade takes place. A young boy came up to Jesus with 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish. On a side note, I think it's funny that none of the other adults decided to pack lunch only this boy brought fish and bread. The Bible doesn't say if Jesus asked him for the food or if the boy offered his food. Either way the little boy gave up his lunch to Jesus. This young man was probably looking forward to eating his fish sandwich that afternoon. But instead he gave it to Jesus.
On that day, this young man traded what he had to Jesus and in return he saw a GREAT miracle take place. So what does that mean for us? TRUE LIFE IS FOUND WHEN WE TRADE OUR PLANS FOR GOD'S PLANS. The boy had plans of eating and enjoying his fish sandwich. But he was willing to trade with Jesus. I can only image the impact that this trade had on this boys life. He traded some fish and bread to see 10,000 people be fed through Jesus Christ. Our lives are not all about money, security, protection, nice house, cars, etc... Our life in Jesus is about trading what we want and our plans for what Jesus has for us. Trading our fish and bread to see God do a great miracle through us and around us.
What do you have to give away in your life that would make Jesus look great?
