Friday, July 25, 2008
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Abundant Provision
"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work" (2 Corinthians 9:8).
One day, Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and crossed the sea of Galilee. Trying for some alone time, maybe? However, "a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick" (John 6:2). I imagine that Jesus and the disciples had a little teaching time before the crowd made it around the lake on foot. But, I can almost guarantee that whatever Jesus taught them before the crowd arrived didn't even compare to how big a lesson they were about to learn!
When Jesus looked up and saw "a great crowd" coming toward them, he knew that the teachable moment had arrived. So, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" Sounds like a reasonable question, right? But know, whenever the Teacher asks a question, he has something in mind. And John the disciple, writing this account many years after the event, draws attention to this fact: "He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do" (John 6:6)! Do you know that Jesus still asks questions, just to see what we will do? To test us? And he still has in mind on each occasion what it is that he is going to do!
Philip said that it would take eight months wages to feed this crowd of 5000 men plus women and children. Good math, Philip, but wrong answer! This was a test and Philip flunked out! And, I can't help but ask myself: when Jesus asks me about a particular situation, whether related to ministry or otherwise, how do I decide whether it can be accomplished or not? Do I base my decisions on his resources or mine? And often we will be forced to admit that we are professing Christians and practical atheists! We say that God will provide but we act as though it all depends on us! And, when I base my decisions on my resources, I will almost always say, "I don't think we can do it." Even worse is to think that I can and have it fall so far short of what he had in mind to do!
If Philip's answer was, "it can't be done," Andrew does only slightly better. "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?" (John 6:9). Do you notice the amazing faith that Andrew exhibits? We have "small" loaves and "small" fish — maybe enough for one and we have five thousand, ten, add kids, about thirty thousand! No, I don't think we can pull it off either!
Jesus told the disciples to have everyone sit down. He had asked where we should buy bread for these people to eat. And now he went to the storehouse of the one he knew so intimately, his Father, the one who had said,
"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend your money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare" (Isaiah 55:1-2).
This is the place to "buy" everything that we need — physical, emotional, spiritual needs — to accomplish what is being asked of us. "Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish" (John 6:11). Then, when they gathered the leftovers as instructed, there were twelve baskets full — one, I suspect, for each of the disciples to take home to their families!
Can I do all that I am being asked by God? Absolutely! But only if I shop at his store rather than my own. We never have enough to accomplish God's work without God's resources. What we have will always be only five loaves and two fish and small ones at that. Not near enough. Did Jesus look to heaven and complain how little it was or to make excuses? No, and we are to follow his example, he took what they had and gave thanks and then went to work. Thank you God, that in your hand my little becomes much. And thank you too, Father, that when the work is done, I discover that You have left over even more than what I started with!
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