What is He doing? I can imagine these words rolling through the disciples’ minds when He told them to make the 5,000-plus people sit down in groups. For what? There wasn’t enough food for the disciples, let alone for all those people. Someone mentioned a little boy had a lunch of 5 little loaves of bread and 2 small fish, but again, that was all the food they knew.
Picture the whispering going on among the disciples. What good is sitting the people down? Yes, they’d seen Jesus perform other miracles, but you don’t get a sense that they were brimming with faith at this time. They’d already suggested that Jesus send the people away so they could go into a village and buy themselves some bread. But Jesus said to sit the people down. So, with questions, the disciples outwardly obeyed.
And that is where I want to camp out today. Obeying even though you have questions. Following God’s directives even though nothing about what He’s saying makes sense against your current circumstances. It made sense to the disciples that the answer was to shoo the people off to fend for themselves. But Jesus said to sit them down. So, they sat them down while wondering what was going to happen next.
Sometimes life is just like that — the Lord impresses you to do something that has you scratching your head in bewilderment. But we do it because He said so. I encourage you today to keep doing what the Lord instructs you. It might not make sense to you, but take those questions with you as you obey God’s directives.
The Bible is filled with God giving people instructions that, at the beginning, made absolutely no sense. But when God got done working in the situation, results of deliverance, change, understanding, hope, etc., were revealed. We often don’t understand what God is doing. That’s okay, as we’re supposed to walk by faith, not sight. That translates into doing/saying/going/staying/waiting/walking/running/picking up/putting down whatever God has instructed you to do. Your actions have implications. You will not see God’s hand move if you don’t take the first step He’s given you!
Mary, Martha, and the crowd around them wouldn’t have seen the miraculous occur if they hadn’t followed the first directive of “move the stone.” There’s no sense in looking for the next step if you don’t follow through on part 1. When Jesus was done blessing the food, He gave further instructions to the disciples as He handed them the miraculous lunch and told them to pass it on to the people!
What He is doing? Building your faith!!
5 When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?6 And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.7 Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him,9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. John 6:5-13 (KJV)
Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. John 11:39 (KJV)
In the Master’s Service,
Author/Pastor Michele D Robertson
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matthew 11:28-29 (KJV)