He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” (John 6:5).
16 May 26
Today's devotional: taken from YouVersion, Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year One
Readings:
2 Kings 15
2 Kings 16
2 Kings 17
John 6:1-21
But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do (John 6:6).
He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” (John 6:5).
Jesus doesn’t ask the above question to Philip because He needs an answer; our Lord knows all things. The Good Shepherd’s question has a twofold effect: It shows the inability of men to meet the needs of mankind and displays the impossibility of feeding the vast multitude. Philip should have turned to Jesus and said, “For with God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37). This is the first miracle the disciples participate in with the Lord. Amazingly, Jesus provides “as much [bread and fish] as they wanted” (John 6:11). The verb “they wanted” occurs in the imperfect tense, showing continual action in past time. Jesus also had “twelve baskets with the fragments” left over to feed the apostles (John 6:12-13).
Employment Point: Turn to Jesus during your next test, and trust in His provision.
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Reflections
Have you wondered in your life as a Christian whether you may lack anything? If you look back into the past, were there moments where there was a lack? For me, truly, there isn’t. More so after I believed in Christ. When I was a pre-believer, I have so much lack, it never felt enough. As a believer, I felt I have more than I have because the Lord just kept pouring over me. Indeed, His grace is enough, more than enough.
“In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.”2 Kings 15:27-28 NIV
- as I read thus far about the kings of Israel in Samaria, nobody did good in the eyes of the Lord. All of them did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat. It almost looks like they were cursed.
“In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah king of Judah began to reign. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done.”
2 Kings 15:32, 34 NIV
- Judah thus far however, have a few kings who did right in the eyes of the Lord. They were Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Amaziah, Uzziah & Jotham in the same period.
- It was just as the Lord has promised David to keep his line.
“So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left,”2 Kings 17:18 NIV
- this whole chapter writes about what Israel had done to cause the Lord’s wrath to be upon them. It was full of evil, including sacrificing their sons and daughters in the fire.. how could the Lord not be angry?
- We may begin well too.. just like in the house of David and we would not know what is to come. We cannot afford to be complacent and think everything is simple or like we can do whatever we please. There will be temptations or tests along the way for sure. What we need to make sure, is to stand firm in the Lord, let nothing shakes us.
“It was reported to the king of Assyria: “The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires.””2 Kings 17:26 NIV
- His people may be displaced to Assyria but the land is still His land. He would have it in no other way..
- i felt like this is also to say that so long we are still living and as a child of God, we ought to doing what we ought to be doing. There is no other way.
“When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them.”2 Kings 17:35 NIV
- you cannot argue and say that you do not know what would happen. He has told us way before, to be careful. He gave His warnings way ahead so that there is time to prepare and react. However the truth sometimes can hurt.
- This somehow reminds me of how stiff-necked we can be at times. The Lord has warned us and has told us He is coming back soon. Are we ready for His coming or are we like the Israelites who chose to do things their way, ignoring all the warnings and the signs?
“Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.”
John 6:3, 15 NIV
- throughout scripture, there was no lack of evidence that Jesus always retreated when faced with overwhelming requests. But He did not retreat to hide but to seek the Lord, and be anchored by it.
- This is the same for us. When faced with challenges or trials and when things get overwhelming, perhaps it is a good time to seek the Lord and also seek His peace
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The Habit of Wealth
BY OSWALD CHAMBERS
May 16
He has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature.— 2 Peter 1:4
Through God’s promises, we participate in the divine nature. But if we want to express the divine nature in our human nature, we must form habits—and the very first habit we must form is the habit of recognizing God’s provision.
Do you often find yourself saying, “I can’t afford it”? One of the worst lies is tucked up in this statement. It’s considered bad taste to talk about money—how much you have or don’t have—and the same is true of spiritual riches. We talk as though our heavenly Father has cut us off without a cent. We think it’s a sign of modesty to say, “It was a real struggle, but I got by.” Meanwhile, all of God Almighty is ours through the Lord Jesus Christ.
If we obey God, he will tax the last grain of sand and the remotest star to bless us. What does it matter if our external circumstances are difficult? Why shouldn’t they be? If we indulge in the luxury of misery and give way to self-pity, we banish God’s riches from our lives. No sin is worse than self-pity, because it erases God and puts self-interest on the throne. It opens our mouths to spit out streams of complaint, and our lives become constantly craving spiritual sponges, with nothing lovely or generous about them.
When God is beginning to be satisfied with us, he will impoverish every source of phony wealth in our lives, until we learn that true wealth lies only in him. If we aren’t consciously aware of the fact that his majesty and grace and power are being manifested in us, God holds us responsible.
“God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8). Learn to lavish the blessings of God on others, and his blessings will come through you all the time.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD
Beware of bartering the Word of God for a more suitable conception of your own.
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Reflections
We were just talking about this on Wed and giving thanks to the Lord for provision, for a job that is an open door when it so happened that a sister we know lost hers. But all is not lost because the Lord provides.
Then we went to the topic of church workers, whether our pay are indeed much lesser than what we get in the market. I think we kind of figured that each of us took a pay-cut of about $1000 if we ended up in church. Not of our own choosing but answering His calling. And praise be to God, we have never lacked anything. Not in the monetary sense or any other sense. He knows even before we ask of Him!
I shared some time ago even when I think I didn’t have much, the Lord still prompted me to give. To be honest I’m doubtful if I will survive the month but did it anyways and this kind of prompting happened a few times. Over time, I learned to trust in Him because each and every time He did provide and I learnt that to lean on Him, we shall have no fear. For He already knows what we need.
Think about the times He provided when the math did not add up. Those were not coincidences. We need to stop treating them like they were.
Let's pray:
Father thank You for Your provision of all our needs, especially in our financial matters, especially when we thought we are falling short and yet Your hands are never too short and we are never in lack. Indeed You are our good Shephard and we lack nothing. Help us to trust in You even when it doesn't seem possible or even when the maths may not seem to add up. For You are the Lord and who knows things better than You do. Thank You Father for Your love, and that in this love, we are never in lack. In Jesus's most precious name we pray. Amen!
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