My guess is that you’ve heard this story before. I think there might even be a Veggie Tales version of this Bible story. You may think that you’ve heard this story enough or that you know all there is to know, but take a moment and ask God to empty you. Ask him to empty you of what you think you already know, and ask him to fill you up with the knowledge and wisdom he wants you to gain from this devotional.
Take in your in doing this, and once you have done this, Read John 6:1-15
The first thing to note is in verses 1-4. It says that people were following Jesus because they saw what he had done. The same is true in today’s world. When people see God at work, they believe. At the same time, many non-believers argue that God isn’t at work because of all the violence, suffering, poverty, and problems in this world. The amazing thing is that in the midst of all this chaos, God is at work everywhere. Non-believers for the most part don’t see this world in the same way Christians, and no non-believer is going to believe in Christ unless they see the fruits of his work. This is why we as Christians should be abiding and walking with Christ daily so that our lives show the work God is doing in our life and our lives are a light to those around us in a dark world.
In verses 5-7, Jesus asks Philip where they’re going to buy bread to eat. Philip replies in verse 7 (NIV), “Eight months wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Why did Jesus ask Philip when verse 5 tells us that he already knew what was going to happen? Verse 6 answers that question: he wanted to test him. Jesus wanted to test Philip’s faith in him. Jesus had already healed the sick and performed many miracles, so I don’t think feeding five thousand people is a problem for him. Philip’s answer shows a lack of faith in Jesus and also shows his insufficiency. He could work for eight months and still not have enough money to buy food for all of these people. His works and efforts are nothing compared to what Christ can do, and the same is true for us. When we don’t trust and have faith in God, we may try to do things on our own, but the truth is that anything we do doesn’t even come close to what God can do. Take this time to surrender your life to God. Confess to him if you’ve tried to handle things on your own. Ask that he would humble you and allow you to completely surrender your life because you want him to work in you. Pray for faith and trust in who he is and how great he is.
The last thing I want you to see is how great God’s provision is. The little boy offered up his lunch to God. Imagine you handing over your PB&J sandwich, an apple, some chips, and milk over to Jesus and thinking “he can feed all the people with this!” It takes a lot of faith, right? The amazing thing is that Jesus takes this small offering, and he multiplies it. He feeds all the people and then some; they all leave stuffed and leave behind twelve baskets full of food. How awesome! The point here is that God can use any offering no matter how big or small. If our heart is in the right place, like the boy who offered his lunch, God can take what we give him, multiply it, and do so much more with it. God doesn’t care about how much we do for him because he doesn’t need us to do anything, but God cares about having faith in him and having the right heart.
What is it that God wants you to learn today? Is your life clearly reflecting the work of God? Do you lack faith in who God is and what he can do? Do you have the right heart when you offer or do things for God? Reread John 6:1-15, and then take time to stop, reflect, and pray. Ask God to reveal to you what he wants to fix. Allow him to mold and to work in you so that you can love him more and deepen your faith.
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