STRETCHING YOUR FAITH

Here is a wonderful devotional by Nancy Campbell from Above Rubies.  You can subscribe to her encouraging e-mail's by following the instructions at the end.  I always seem to get these in my in-box just when I need them the most!

 

Love,

Marsha

 

John 6:5-6, "Jesus 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."

 

The crowds gathered to Jesus to hear His words of life and to be healed of their sicknesses. Soon there were thousands -- five thousand men besides women and children. Jesus was filled with compassion towards these people. He not only wanted to feed their souls, but feed their bodies. And so He turned to Philip to ask him where they could buy food for all these people.

 

Philip was nearly dumbfounded! "It would take a small fortune!" He spluttered in unbelief. Actually, different translations give different amounts. The NIV says that "eight months' wages would not buy enough bread." The CEV says that "it would take almost a year's wages." The situation looked impossible to Philip. He couldn't see past the thousands of people and the impossibility of feeding them all. His faith could not go beyond his sight.

 

But Jesus had asked him this question only to test and stretch his faith. Jesus knew all along what he would do. And we now know the outcome of the story and how Jesus fed this huge crowd from five small barley loaves and two small fish!

 

But let's put ourselves in Philip's place. What would you have answered? I'm sure my response would have been the same as Philip's! But I pray that my faith will be stretched. I want to see beyond the looming difficulties in front of me. I want to see beyond the impossible situations. I want to look to God to whom nothing is impossible.

 

God wants us to believe Him. He wants us to trust Him in His mighty right arm. He wants to lift us up from our earthly sighted view to see Him. Our God is not a man. We must not bring him down to our level and to what we see. We must come up to where He is and see things as He sees them. He sees far beyond the circumstances that we see. He knows how He will deliver us. He knows the final outcome. All we have to do is trust.

 

Next time you face an impossible situation; do you think you could change your response? Instead of confessing it is impossible, confess your trust in God. "Lord, I know that you are bigger than this situation. I can't see a way out, but I know that you know the way out. I trust you to lead me. I trust in you to do what is impossible."

 

There are times when God will put you in situations, just as He did Philip, inn order for your faith to stretch and grow. Don't waste these situations.

 

Remember, that all along God knows what He will do. He has the answer. He has everything in control. Absolutely nothing is impossible to Him.

 

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

 

Affirmation:

Nothing is too difficult for God.

 

Prayer:

"Oh God, I thank you that nothing is I impossible to you. Help me to increase my faith. Help me to get into the habit of always looking to you, instead of the problems I face around me. Amen."

 

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