GOD’S HEART FOR SUSTAINABILITY.

On July 24^th, 2024, Grace Klein Community posted on their social media with the caption, “!!We are out of food!!!”. For an entire day, we found ourselves without food, an unimaginable moment for our team as we strive to serve thousands of people each week. In that season of drought, our staff gathered to pray—not for food for themselves, but for those in need. Throughout the day, small food rescues trickled in, or a medium-sized catering pickup would arrive. Yet, as quickly as it came in, our hub team faithfully pushed it back out to those who needed it most. They trusted God to provide in abundance and refused to hold on tightly to the very little they had left.

How did God respond to our prayers and unwavering faith? With a 20,000-pound food rescue at midnight! God provided in overflow the very next night. Our fridges and freezers could barely contain the abundance, and the following day, we worked tirelessly to get the food into the hands of those who needed it. We had enough to sustain our operations, the people we serve, and

This event is a testament to how deeply the Lord cares for His people, His resources, and the sustainability of all He provides.

The fundamental question of sustainability is . . . what are we sustaining?

In Genesis 1 and 2, the Lord created the heavens and the Earth and called His creation “good.” From the intricate order of a human cell to the unimaginable vastness of the universe, God designed a world of breathtaking beauty and detail. Look around you! When God placed the first human, Adam, in the Garden of Eden, God gave Adam a clear directive in Genesis 2:15: to “work” and “take care” of the garden. The directive was not only extended to Adam but to all humanity—a call to humbly steward and care for the world entrusted to us. The Lord has gifted us an incredible world and all of its resources, and we have a privilege and responsibility to nurture and protect it.

We are sustaining the Lord’s creation and all the blessings He has provided!

Sustainability is using resources today to meet our needs, without compromising the needs of future generations. When we manage our resources well today, our children and grandchildren are provided with the same opportunities we have.

God, the Creator of the universe, cares about sustainability. God teaches us to be wise with our resources and to steward the Earth well. One biblical story beautifully intertwines resourcefulness, stewardship, provision, and the Lord’s care for humanity: the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000 with five loaves and two fish.

John 6:1-15 recounts the miraculous story of Jesus feeding 5,000 people with a small amount of donated food. Three years into His ministry, Jesus had drawn a large following as people witnessed the healing miracles He performed. On the far shore of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus and His disciples went up on a mountainside and sat down, and the crowds followed.

Jesus turned to His disciple Philip and asked where they could buy bread to feed the crowd. Thinking practically, Philip replied how it would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each person to have a single bite. Andrew, another disciple, pointed out a boy who had five small barley loaves and two small fish, but he questioned, “How far will they go among so many?” (John 6:9, NIV).

Oh, how far indeed!

All the people sat down, Jesus gave thanks for the food, and distribution started. Amazingly, the five loaves and two fish fed every person present, and everyone ate until they were satisfied. Furthermore, Jesus tells his disciples to, “gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted” (John 6:12, NIV). The disciples gathered twelve basketfuls of overage food. Everyone saw the example of Jesus and were amazed.

In summary, Jesus noticed the crowds were hungry and decided to feed them. He only had a small amount of food, but through His power, all the crowds were satisfied with twelve basketfuls left over. Jesus cared about the crowds and provided physical and spiritual sustenance. In verse 12, Jesus shows His care for sustainability and resource management by not letting the leftovers go to waste but instead collecting the overages. The miracle demonstrates not only Jesus’ power to turn scarcity into abundance but also His deep care for stewardship and resources. By ensuring nothing was wasted, Jesus sets an example for us to value and preserve what we have.
Jesus feeding the 5,000 proves God provides and sustains humanity. He is the preeminent Sustainer as He also sustains every person who calls on him. If we rely on the Lord, he will pull us through. Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you: He will never let the righteous be shaken.” The Lord cares for you. Lean on Him and He will sustain you through any season of life.

We are called to care for and manage the blessings we have received. We are all called to sustain this earth and all of the earth’s resources. Psalms 24:1 reads, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” God created the world and everything is His. Wherever you are in the world, take care of God’s creation. Sustain God’s creation.