Subtitle: Stop trying to work out every detail that you think needs to happen for God to be successful. See a bigger picture and walk by faith, not by sight.

Excerpt: Stop trying to work out every detail that you think needs to happen for God to be successful. See a bigger picture and walk by faith, not by sight.

Author: Rich Holt

Scripture

Our verse for today comes from John 6:7, “Philip answered Him, ‘Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.'”

Background

Our van has a feature on it where the engine computer is able to tell you how many miles further you can drive before you run out of gas. The readout, however, can change from one moment to the next depending on how you are driving. If you’re cruising down the highway, then the mileage may show one number, but if you’re climbing a large hill or accelerating aggressively, then the computer recalculates and drops the number down to reflect the changes in fuel consumption. Unfortunately, though, when the gas drops down to a certain level, the readout changes from showing how many miles you have left to a generic message that informs you that your fuel level is low. So when we fill the gas tank and ease out of the station, the available distance may say 463 miles, but as the tank approaches empty, the only information available is that the fuel is low. But this system is all backwards for me. When I’ve just filled the tank with gas, I’m not so interested in whether I’ve got 463 or 458 miles to go before I’m out of gas. But when the tank is low, I’m very interested in whether I have thirty miles left or only seven. Unfortunately, when I need the detailed information, the computer can give me only generalities. And when it’s less important, the computer can tell me exactly how many hundreds of miles remain.

Application

When Jesus asked His disciples where they would buy bread enough to feed the masses, they struggled to figure out where they would get it and how they would pay for it. But that’s not what Jesus wanted from them. He didn’t ask them so that they could map out a plan. He wanted them to see a bigger picture, that they couldn’t possibly feed the crowd and that their faith needed to be in the miraculous power of Jesus. But they got hung up on the details that Jesus already had under control. So many times, when Jesus asks us a question, He’s not looking for us to give a detailed explanation. He’s got that covered. He may just want us to admit that we don’t know and all we can do is trust in His miraculous power.

Charge

As we seek Him today, stop trying to work out every detail that you think needs to happen for God to be successful. See a bigger picture and walk by faith, not by sight.

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words