LETTER FOR FEBRUARY 1990
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Dear Friends,

The Christian Life is full of challenges and difficulties which we have to face. These challenges and difficulties often present us with situations which are beyond our wisdom, strength, and resources. God has been leading us as we have sought his will. We feel we have discerned his will. Certainly we have been sincere in seeking to know and do God's will. But now we come face-to-face with something, and we can't see our way through it, or we totally lack the resources to enable us to proceed.

The feeding of the 5000 recorded in John 6 has some helpful and encouraging instruction to give us in such situations. The disciples were sitting with Jesus on the hillside talking (v.3), and as they looked out they see an enormous crowd of people coming up the hill towards them (v.5).

Well, that is all right -- disciples must have thought. It is a bit of a nuisance. They had hoped to have Jesus to themselves. But the crowd was not their responsibility. They had not asked them to come. They must look after themselves. They probably hoped Jesus would send them home fairly quickly. They would put up with their presence as best they could. But then Jesus indicated that they should feed this crowd (v.5). Jesus specially puts Philip on the spot with the question, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat" (v.5).

What a challenge! What a difficulty! We identify with Philip and the disciples in their dilemma. Jesus is asking disciples to be responsible for this crowd. Or at least they felt he was asking them to do this.

The challenges is crushing. They were not near a place where bread could be bought. Philip indicates in the verse 7 that the amount of money needed was totally beyond their resources. They hadn't got enough money to provide this crowd to have a mouthful each, let alone a full meal.

The disciples had obviously rushed about a bit in human effort and anxiety, to see if there was any food around, just as we rush around in desperation and anxiety. This is plain because they came across this little boy with his packed lunch. But what little hope they had of finding a solution to the problem of feeding these people was quickly destroying (v.9). The task was beyond them and they felt Jesus was unfair to ask them.

Verset six is the helpful verse. Just because the disciples found the task beyond them, it did not mean that Jesus had been wrong or inconsiderate in having spoken to them and in asking them to consider how they were to feed this crowd.

There is no suggestion in the words of Jesus in verse five that he expected them to do the feeding. He was only asking them to consider how the people could be fed. All they could answer was that they could not feed the people, and they had no idea how these people could be fed. So often in our difficulties we mistake what Jesus is saying to us, believing him to be telling us to do something, when he is only asking us to face it and consider how it may be overcome

Also Jesus had a purpose in what he was doing, and in his asking the disciples to consider the question. He was testing them. Testing their obedience. Testing their allegiance to him. Testing their reaction. Testing their faith. In other words, Jesus was seeking to strengthen and mature their Christian lives and experience, and make them stronger and better Christian's. This is invariably part of God's purpose in all the problems we have to face. He is seeking to make himself known to us better.

Jesus was also seeking to instruct the disciples in two things -- their own limitations and his power. We do not learn to depend on his power unless we have come to the end of trusting in ourselves.

"Jesus knew what he was going to do." These words are so full of meaning and strength. The disciples thought everything was on their shoulders, when in reality nothing was on their shoulders. Jesus had not put the responsibility on the disciples, and neither does he give us burdens we cannot bear, or problems we are not equipped to solve. Jesus had purposed all along what he was going to do. And this is always true. It is the work of Jesus, which he has already planned, which we are engaged in, and he does not opt out. He has always meant to be the power and doing in the project.

This is always true. Jesus does not leave us. He is working his purposes out. He is going to work. He is going to save and bless, act and do. He knows the end from the beginning, because he has willed and planned it, and what he wills and plans happens exactly how he purposes it.

Our problems and difficulties are a part of the will of Jesus. He knows what he is going to do and will do it. We have got to obey him and in faith wait for his plans to unfold, as he (Jesus) works his already prepare purpose. He gives us the joy and privilege of having a part in them. That is all. The disciples, when they have come to the conclusion that the problem of feeding the crowd was beyond them, had only to wait in obedience for the next instruction of Jesus, which was to get crowd to sit down.

What comfort and assurance this brings us. The end of strengthen and ability is the beginning of seeing God's purpose unfold before us by the exercise of his almighty power. We need not worry but wait for God to work and show us the part he wants us to take.

Your servant for Christ's sake,