When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

John 6:5-7 (NIV)

 

God often uses the circumstances and situations in our lives to prepare for something beyond what we could possibly imagine. The question is whether we are willing to allow God to disrupt our everyday moments and transform them into life-changing encounters.

When Jesus commanded His followers to feed the hungry crowds in the wilderness, they considered it both a financial and logistical disaster. They argued, "We have no money, and we have too many people to feed.” In the same manner, when the Lord challenges us, He is inviting us to step forward and allow Him to transform our limited vision and way of thinking.

The Apostle John informs us that Jesus wished to test Philip's faith. Philip had always had faith, but Jesus wanted to push him beyond his usual comfort zone. Jesus wanted him to experience a completely new level of faith, beyond anything he had ever encountered before.

We have all received a measure of faith. We don't save faith for a rainy day or a desperate time of need. Faith is the outflow of a heart that is secure in our Righteous Father's love and grace. In this sense, when God seeks to stretch our faith, He is really drawing us closer to Him so that we might have a better understanding of Him and have more confidence in His love, provision, and presence.