November 4, 2016

TRUST IN THE SOURCE INSTEAD OF YOUR RESOURCES

John 6:1–21

Janna Lewis
Friday's Devo

November 4, 2016

Friday's Devo

November 4, 2016

Central Truth

Jesus and John teach us that even when circumstances seem impossible and we don't see a solution, God has a plan, and we must trust Him and give our all.

Key Verse | John 6:20

But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." (John 6:20)

John 6:1–21

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii 1 6:7 A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”

15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

Jesus Walks on Water

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, 2 6:19 Greek twenty-five or thirty stadia; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

Footnotes

[1] 6:7 A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer
[2] 6:19 Greek twenty-five or thirty stadia; a stadion was about 607 feet or 185 meters

Dive Deeper | John 6:1–21

The miracle of feeding 5,000 people was of such magnitude that it is the only miracle recorded in all four Gospels (apart from the Resurrection). Jesus was at the height of His popularity. It was Passover time—like a modern-day national holiday—and multitudes of people had been following Jesus, observing His miracles, and listening to His teachings. Compelled by compassion and divine love, Jesus decided not only to teach the crowd following Him, but to feed them.

By human terms, this was an impossible situation. Jesus tested Philip first. Without a thought of the recent miracles he had witnessed, Philip responded with a logical response—he thought of the resources needed to feed the people. Andrew joined in and tried to provide a solution. He found a little boy who was willing to give all he had. Jesus, our only true source, provided the miracle by taking the boy's lunch of five loaves and two fish, blessing it, and handing it to His disciples so they could feed the multitude. In the end, 12 baskets of fragments were left over.

Whatever our circumstances, if we give all we have to God and trust in Him, He will use the ordinary things and events of our lives to create extraordinary outcomes. When we face impossible circumstances, all self-reliance and self-confidence must not be considered, but we must be totally dependent on Him for our resources.

The disciples went from the impossible situation of feeding multitudes of people to the impossible situation of saving themselves from the storm on the sea. As they watched Jesus walk on water, they heard Him say, "It is I; do not be afraid." (John 6:20) When we trust in Jesus, no matter our circumstances, our fear is replaced by our faith, which allows us to see the presence of God in our lives. Many times, the most difficult experiences of life bring us closer to Jesus.

Discussion Questions

1. When have you trusted in Jesus instead of your resources?

2. What storms of life threaten your faith in Jesus?

3. How does Jesus use you to provide for others because you trust Him?