Hungry?

So I have a confession to make: there are days when I go almost the whole day without eating. No, I don’t do it on purpose, and we have plenty of food. In fact, I love food — a lot. Honestly, I’m usually just so busy that I don’t think about it. I get into a groove and don’t really want to stop partway through what I’m doing, take a break to eat, and then try to get started again. What usually happens is that someone will say, “I’m so hungry right now.” And that’s when I stop and think to myself, When was the last time I ate something? That’s when I realize I should probably grab something to eat, too.

I know — I’m kind of weird that way. But I guess it’s just the way I’m wired.

As I was reading my Bible, I came across the story of feeding the 5,000 in Mark 6:30–44. I grew up in the church and have heard this story almost my entire life. I’m sure I colored the Sunday School pages and have listened to plenty of sermons on it. But this time, something hit me a little differently as I read the passage.

It starts off by saying:

"The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.'" (Mark 6:30–31, NIV)

To summarize the rest of the story: Jesus and the apostles get into a boat and head for a secluded area. But the crowds see Jesus and start running along the shore to where He’s headed. When Jesus sees the people, He has compassion on them and begins teaching. As the day goes on, the disciples realize the crowd hasn’t eaten. Jesus asks them to feed the people, but all they can find is five loaves and two fish. Jesus blesses the food, and miraculously, it multiplies — feeding everyone — with twelve baskets of leftovers remaining.

Many of you are probably familiar with this story, but something stood out to me this time. It starts with the disciples being both hungry and tired. They had just returned from the mission Jesus had sent them on — spreading the Good News, casting out demons, and healing people. They were spiritually poured out and physically empty. So when Jesus said, Let’s go get some rest, I can just picture their relief. I bet they were so thankful that Jesus saw them, recognized their exhaustion, and cared for what they needed in that moment.

But can you imagine? You finally get into the boat, ready for some rest, and then you look at the shore — and there’s this massive crowd following you. Honestly, I’d probably feel a little frustrated. I mean, didn’t Jesus just say we were going to rest?

Then, Jesus sees the crowd and has compassion on them. He pulls the boat ashore and starts teaching. As it gets late, the still-hungry disciples are ready to send the people away so they can eat. But Jesus turns to them and says, You give them something to eat.

Come on — if you were starving and someone told you to feed someone else first, wouldn’t you be a little annoyed? But the disciples go out, find five loaves and two fish, and bring them to Jesus. It’s such a small, insignificant amount — but not to Jesus. He blesses it, and there are twelve baskets of leftovers in the end.

I think there’s a powerful lesson here. Sometimes, we get worn down when we’re serving and pouring ourselves out. We get hungry — physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We start to feel like we have nothing left to give.

When I read this story, I see Jesus saying, Hey, let’s go take a nap and hide away for a while. And honestly, that sounds great. But as I read further, I realized something: the quiet place wasn’t what was going to restore them. It was being with Jesus.

He wanted to show them that when they felt empty, when they had nothing left to offer, He had twelve baskets of leftovers waiting for them.

When you feel tired and don’t know how to move forward, God says, Come be with Me. In Him, you will be cared for. When you feel like you have nothing left to give, that’s okay — Jesus doesn’t need a lot. He just wants you.

Now, I want to be careful here — we do need to guard against burnout. But I believe burnout happens when we try to do everything in our own strength, without relying on the Holy Spirit, and when we neglect spending time with Jesus every day.

The disciples were tired, hungry, and poured out — ready for a break. But Jesus knew what they needed most. He wanted to show them that when they stayed close to Him and allowed Him to provide, they’d have more than enough.

So I want to encourage you — if you’re feeling overwhelmed or a little spiritually hungry, go spend time with Jesus. He’s the only one who can truly fill you — and send you home with leftovers.