Practical

Jesus will take what we offer to Him, perhaps what He Himself has provided for us, and use it for His glory.   In 2nd Corinthians 9, Paul wrote:
10 Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness,
11 while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.
12 For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God...

Think about the instances in which Jesus fed the multitudes - those started as Jesus took something very small and worked a miracle. The mustard seed of faith can produce a great bounty when we trust God.  The seed of the Word of God grows with the right cultivation. Jesus said in Luke to be faithful in the small things.  We can take what we have and allow God to work through it, and by so doing, we can call attention to His love and faithfulness.

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I remember a sermon from a few years back that highlighted a question that God asked to Moses in Exodus chapter 4. The passage says:
2 So the Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A rod."
3 And He said, "Cast it on the ground." So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail" (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand),
5 "that they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you."

Another sign followed: Moses' hand became leprous, and then healed.  In this first instance, God asked Moses, "what is that in your hand?"  That's a great challenge to us to follow the direction of the Holy Spirit in helping to provide for the needs of people. 

The Christian Post reported recently on a church in Nebraska that is being quite resourceful in its ministry, reaching out to provide practical help in the name of Jesus; the article says:

Brookside Church of Omaha, which boasts a congregation of around 3,000 people, will expand its ministry that provides clothes for the less fortunate to include a food pantry and an "Auto Care Center" housed on its property near Interstate 80 and L Street.

Brookside emailed The Christian Post a statement detailing that the care center will only service individuals who come by recommendation from a local agency or nearby school.

Services at the auto center will either be given at a discounted price or even free, depending on the specific service that the vehicle brought in requires.

So, Brookside is trusting the Lord for the resources expanding its food pantry ministry into two other endeavors.  The article reports that:

Lead Pastor Jeff Dart says that the congregation is expanding the care services because "issues like these tend to snowball into each other."

"Loss of transportation can lead to loss of employment or inability to get to school, which leads to needing the basics of life like food and clothing," Dart stated.

"As we strive to follow the example of Christ, meeting these needs in our community is a part of living out our faith. We know that meeting physical needs often leads to meeting people's spiritual needs."

Another Nebraska church has taken its resources and retired over a half million dollars of medical debt, according to a CBN.com article, which said:

A Lincoln, Nebraska church's 13-month campaign helped raise more than $500,000 to pay off the medical bills of local residents.

The First-Plymouth Congregational Church's effort started at $8,000 with a desire to help a few neighbors in need, according to The Lincoln Journal Star. Thirteen months later, it had raised more than $520,000 in donations, freed 500 households from burdensome medical bills, and gained national attention.

"I had no idea it would go so viral," Rev. Jim Keck, the church's senior pastor told the outlet. "You wouldn't think a pastor would do this; I underestimated people's generosity."

The article quoted Pastor Keck as saying, "Sometimes love has to be expressed in actions. We have had an initiative all year that is just love on the move," adding, "The church decided that there were too many homes right in our neighborhood that were saddled with medical debt, like shackles when you have a debt you just can't get on top of."

Two churches trusted God for the resources, the provision, in order to make a difference in their respective communities.  We can always be sure to look to God as our provider, and when we have a generous heart, we can call upon Him and see Him work through our faithfulness to Him. 

So, we ask the question, "what is that in your hand?"  Perhaps it is some resource that God has given and about which the Holy Spirit has given direction in order to address a need in the community God has called you to serve. If that is His intent, then you can call on Him and trust Him to work according to the desire He has placed in your heart.  We may not see how the big picture is going to come to pass, but we can start small, with what God has given to us, and recognize that He can bring those ideas He has placed on our hearts to fruition. 

Our responsibility is faithfulness and obedience - His responsibility is to take what we have surrendered to Him, multiply it and glorify His name.