Jesus crossed Lake Galilee, which was also known as Lake Tiberias. 2 A large crowd had seen him work miracles to heal the sick, and those people went with him. 3-4 It was almost time for the Jewish festival of Passover, and Jesus went up on a mountain with his disciples and sat down.
5 When Jesus saw the large crowd coming toward him, he asked Philip, “Where will we get enough food to feed all these people?”6 He said this to test Philip, since he already knew what he was going to do. John 6:1-6 (CEV)
The story of Jesus feeding 5,000+ people from the offering of five barley loaves and two fish is told by all four gospel writers. To me, this means there are important teachings for me to know. So I am going to cut to the point God is speaking to me today through this passage. God’s faithfulness has never been dependent upon mine.
Is there a question or circumstance in your life that seems as improbable as feeding 5,000 people without an easily identified resource? “I don’t know what to do, God! I don’t have that kind of money. There aren’t enough hours in the day. There’s no way around or through this for me. I don’t have the strength to keep going!”
God is greater than my weaknesses. When I doubt, He knows. When I am weak, He has strength. When I am tired, He never sleeps. When I forget to turn to Him, God is still there. When the disciples had no answer to Jesus’ inquiry of what to do, Jesus takes what is there (the 5 loves & 2 fish) and gives thanks.
Maybe I see no solution to my circumstances. Maybe all I have is enough strength or time or direction for today. Thank You God, for today.
I have often thought of the POW’s during the Viet Nam war. They did not know if they would ever be released. They did not know how much longer they could survive. They passed along Scripture to each other from their own memories. They marked off the days on the walls of their cells. Their faith was small. Their God was big.
God dispenses His blessings not on the basis of my faith but on the riches of His love. I have no wealth within me to barter God’s favor. Prayer is my way to reach out and connect to the only One who is able to bring me through each day no matter the circumstances.
It is this knowledge of God’s faithfulness and love that breaks the cold iceberg of cynicism that attempts to rob me of faith. There are more hungry, homeless people than there are charitable people. There are more wounds than healers. There are more cold, dead churches than there are ones on fire. When I want to throw up my hands, I reach up instead and grasp the hand of God and hang on. He will show me the way to the next step, the next day. This is what makes God – God.
We put our hope in the Lord.
He is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.
22 Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord, for our hope is in you alone. Psalm 33:20-22 (NLT)
Great is Thy Faithfulness written by Thomas Chisholm & William Runyan, sung by Chris Rice
