7 Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"
8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, 9 "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"
Ever been with your back against the wall and nowhere to turn? Ever been empty of ability when presented with great need? Ever been clueless when the questions just kept pouring in? If so, it is doubtful that we will have a problem relating to Philip and Andrew in our verses for today. Staging a set-up for a faith builder, if you will, Jesus has asked His guys where they could buy bread for 5,000+ people. The disciples did not have the money. The disciples were in a remote area. The disciples totally lacked the ability - in their own power - to do as Jesus requested. It is no wonder the other three gospels tell us the disciples told Jesus to send the people away – sounds like a reasonable response to me - yet Jesus is not looking for my reasonable responses or anyone else’s for that matter!
15 As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food." Matt 14:15 (NIV)
35 By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late. 36 Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat." Mark 6:35-36 (NIV)
12 Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here." Luke 9:12 (NIV)
Oftentimes when we are confronted by an out of our league need in our own ability to fulfill, our initial response is to send it away – get rid of it – abort the situation – flee - turn a deaf ear instead of turning to hear from the Lord. He gives forth His direction and power as we place our will and trust in Him. I can’t imagine Moses thought he would part the Red Sea or Joshua thought he would level Jericho’s walls or Gideon thought his three hundred men could lay flat an army as numerous as the sand on the seashore and all the other miraculous accounts done throughout Scripture through those with faith in God rather than faith in the hand of man. Fact is, they did not have the ability in and of themselves but God did and for some unknown reason, He chooses to use those who put their trust in Him as flawed and lacking as their flesh may be.
“Faith raises the soul above the difficulty, straight to God Himself, and enables one to stand still. We gain nothing by our restless and anxious efforts...It is therefore true wisdom, in all times of difficulty and perplexity, to stand still – to wait only upon God, and He will assuredly open a way for us.” C.H. Mackintosh
“Confidence in the natural world is self-reliance; in the spiritual world it is God-reliance.” Oswald Chambers
“God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.” Hudson Taylor
It was Jesus’ desire to show His guys - and us as well - not to first look inward and outward for temporal help, rather upward. He is in the business of taking our pittance and making it His plenty – for our good and His glory. God seeks for His followers to trust Him and more. Our trust is built through His testing of our faith. As He always proves Himself faithful, we trust Him more and more. When we learn to lean into Him – and not on our own understanding - attaching ourselves to and depending upon Him - He proves Himself faithful to either miraculously change the circumstance or just as miraculously change us by bestowing upon us the grace sufficient to meet the need. He is seeking mature followers lacking nothing. We are told in James:
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4 (NIV)
“To learn strong faith is to endure great trials. I have learned my faith by standing firm amid severe testings.” George Mueller
“If the Lord fails me at this time, it will be the first time.” George Mueller
14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? Gen 18:14 (NIV)