There Is No Lack In the Kingdom
This past August, about the middle of the month, I was watering my garden and marveling at how full the ditch we have water rights to had been. It was a miracle it was running at all, let alone being full the entire summer. At that time, we hadn’t had any summer monsoons, little to nothing of spring rains, and winter had been the driest my husband and I had seen since moving to Southwest Colorado over five and a half decades ago.
As I was thanking the Lord for His miraculous abundance, I heard Him say, “There is no lack in the Kingdom.” Immediately several thoughts surfaced, and I want to unpack one that stood out: Mark’s account of the feeding of the five thousand. But before I do, as water rights were part of the context the Lord used when He spoke, a brief explanation is in order. Water rights are the legal right to access water from an approved source, for a particular purpose.
Prior to the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus sent out His inner-circle of twelve to announce repentance: That people needed to change their minds for the better and think differently, regarding the Kingdom of God, and its arrival on earth. To confirm the Kingdom’s inauguration, Jesus gave the disciples the authority (the legal right), and power to cast out demons and to heal. And in commanding them to take nothing more than what they were wearing, He was revealing that as they went, this newly arrived Kingdom would also meet their natural needs. “There is no lack in the Kingdom.”
And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff - no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts - but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics…So they went out and preached that people should repent. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them… Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. (Mark 6:7,8,12,13,30).
Their entire experience was a success. Regardless of circumstance or need, God’s Kingdom was realized naturally and supernaturally. The disciples had tapped into their “water rights”, if you will, and accomplished all that Jesus had authoritatively prescribed them. And they were excited to tell Him about it. But, as news kept spreading regarding Jesus and the disciples’ preaching and demonstrations, people were flocking to them by the thousands. Consequently, so much was going on that they didn’t even have time to grab a bite to eat.
[So Jesus] said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat…(Mark 6:31).
So they hopped on a boat, fully intending to do just that. But…
… the multitude saw them departing…arrived before them and came together to Him. And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things (Mark 6:33,34).
Suffice it to say, such are the plans when genuine compassion compels a person to action.
When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat (Mark 6:35,36).”
In other words: “Jesus, we thought we were getting away for some needed R & R. We’re beat. There’s a ton of people. It’s late. There’s nothing out here to eat. Send them away so they can get a bite and we can finally relax from all the ministry we’ve just done.”
But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?” (Mark 6:37).
With all the disciples’ recent experience of seeing God’s Kingdom manifest naturally and supernaturally, a disconnection lurked. They hadn’t completely changed their minds for the better regarding the Kingdom of God. They doubted that the particulars of this circumstance: the time of day, their weariness, the size of the crowd, the location, and their lack of finances exceeded their authority - their legal right - to once again, tap into the Kingdom and bring it to bear. But Jesus didn’t waver in His command that the disciples were to “give [the multitude] something to eat.”
…[So] He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they found out they said, “Five loaves and two fish.” Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass (Mark 6:38,39).
This is an interesting exchange to me. Despite the disconnection and doubt, the disciples chose to obey. As instructed, they found what food was available, brought it to Jesus, and organized the crowd. Did something of their recent experience stir in them? Was it a look in Jesus’ eyes? Was it the tone of His voice? Or all the above? It doesn’t say. But it does say that they did what they were told.
And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave to His disciples to set before them…So they all ate and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments…Now those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men. (Mark 6:41-44).
What an extraordinary event. Five thousand men, plus women and children (Matthew 14:21), were fed with just two fish and five loaves of bread. Everyone’s hunger was satisfied to the point of filling twelve baskets with leftovers. And, it happened through the hands of the disciples as Jesus broke off pieces from the little they had brought to Him. It could have happened in a number of ways. But it didn’t. Jesus had commanded the disciples to feed the people. And despite the disconnection and doubt they obeyed, and Jesus went way beyond their need. “There is no lack in the Kingdom.”
A lot more could be said here. But I’m going to move on, as the story continues.
Immediately [Jesus] made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side…while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said…“Be of good cheer! I is I; do not be afraid.” Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. (Mark 6:45-51).
To reiterate, when the disciples first went out to preach and demonstrate the Kingdom’s arrival, they accomplished all they were commanded. They knew who had sent them and given them authority and power. Regardless of the circumstance, every single need had been met, naturally and supernaturally. However, when the situation changed again, the disconnection and doubt that still lurked surfaced again. And as a result, they were harassed and distressed by the storm. They were so fixated on the circumstance that if someone hadn’t looked up, Jesus would have walked right past them.
The thing is, Jesus was aware of what was going on. He was watching from the shore, and wasn’t about to abandon them to the storm. Yet He waited until the wee hours of the morning to come to them - holding back - to see if they would stop “straining at rowing” and recall all of the miraculous they had just been part of. And by coming to them on the water, He was demonstrating and restating that their “water rights” to the Kingdom included that the natural and supernatural worlds were subject to them. But instead…
…they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure and marveled. For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened (Mark 6:51,52 emphasis added).
The disciples were gob-smacked. Their doubt, and in this instance fear, caused a callousness - a dullness - to cover their heart. Therefore their ability to mentally put together the miracle of the loaves was hindered. They were unable to see its connection to the preaching and healing they had done prior; to Jesus (and Peter - Matthew 14:28) walking on the water; and to the quieting of the storm. The disciples lost their power to understand. Yet in the face of all of that, I love what Jesus said when He came to them on the water. “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” In the midst of the disciple’s disconnection and repetitive doubt, Jesus loved them and encouraged them. “Have courage, guys! I exist. Do not be frightened or alarmed.” And then once again, He went way beyond their need.
Like the disciples, there are times when my faith and understanding are completely intact. I know that Jesus has indeed commanded, authorized, and empowered me to bring the abundance of His Kingdom to bear. And there are times when circumstances change and doubts rise, hardening my heart, and hindering me from mentally putting together the truth and reality that the Kingdom is right here - right now. That I have full “water rights” to it all of the time, regardless of need or circumstance. I lose my power to understand that Jesus is with me encouraging me that He exists in the midst of the struggle that says otherwise. I “strain at rowing.” It happens to all of us. The windy noise and soul-destroying lie of “Did God say?” is against us and comes in a plethora of ways.
We all must be very careful not to doubt the spoken and written Word of God. When “Did God say?” raises its ugly head; we must deal it a death blow, and simply do what we are told. We cannot give doubt a place in our heart. If it remains unchecked, it can and will lead to unbelief. And unbelief brings a hardness…a stubbornness…an obstinance of heart that absolutely dams up God’s Kingdom flowing in us and through us.
The truth is, regardless of our experience, we live in the present reality of God’s Everlasting Kingdom (Psalm 145:13). And just because it’s been over 2000 years since these miracles took place does not mean there is any lack now. That somehow heaven has been tapped one too many times, and is barely able to eke out the smallest miracle. That somehow God is drained of His ability, and desire, to endlessly supply all of heaven’s resources.
Because of who Father, Son and Holy Spirit are - and who we are in Him - there is no want, need, deficiency, insufficiency, shortage, shortfall, unavailability, scarcity, undersupply, deficit, inadequacy, deprivation, famine, drought, disease, or poverty in Him or His kingdom. We, the children of the Most High God, have been commanded, authorized, and empowered to access His Kingdom on earth now. We have been sent to announce repentance: That people need to change their minds for the better, and think differently regarding the Kingdom of God. We are to confirm its present reality - naturally and supernaturally - by casting out demons, healing, and giving people something to eat. We have full "water rights” to His kingdom; a kingdom that will never, and can’t ever, run dry. “There is no lack in the Kingdom.”
© 2026 Tawna Wilkinson
Resources and for further study:
The New King James Version
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
Thayer’s Lexicon
Isaiah 9:6,7
Ephesians 1-3
Psalm 115:9-18
Psalm 8
John 4:10-14; 7:37,38
James 1:2-8
Romans 4:20-5:5
II Corinthians 10:3-6
Hebrews 3:7-4:16; 10:35-12:2