Life is full of reasons to worry and we can expend a great deal of energy asking what if this or that happens.
We go through seasons when our needs seem to go unnoticed and we wonder if God has forgotten about us.
Trying from passages in John chapter 6 and Matthew chapter 6,
I have recreated a scene to encourage your faith in God's ability to see and respond to your needs.
You feel lost in the large crowd and your stomach rumbles.
You rub your hungry belly wishing for something to eat but unwilling to pull yourself away.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
You check on your son sitting a few feet away.
He is playing in the dirt with a neighbor boy.
Lifting the cloth covering you look into the basket and eye the barley loaves and fish.
Your stomach growls again and you are self-conscious about the noise.
Before your resolve crumbles you cover up the food.
No,
You tell yourself,
You can deal with the hunger but your son is growing.
He needs it more than you do.
You turn your attention back to Jesus and awe fills the cavernous space in your abdomen.
He has just started teaching.
Every word he says is full of wisdom.
Some of it is beyond your understanding but you are certain it is just as wise as the parts you are able to comprehend.
The teachings would be enough to earn your respect but nothing can compare to what happened before that.
You watch Jesus heal someone today.
You can still see it in your mind.
A woman with a crippled hand,
The deformed,
Misshapen,
Curled fingers stretching out before your very eyes.
The scene plays over and over again and each time you feel the amazement anew.
Jesus words bring you back to the present.
He is talking about worry.
You fidget picking at a cuticle.
You know you aren't supposed to worry but you can't seem to help it.
It seems unavoidable because you are living in a constant state of not quite enough.
You sometimes go hungry.
Your clothing wears out before you can afford more fabric.
You feel like you are hanging onto a thread at times.
What if one of these times there really isn't enough?
You never feel secure.
Jesus seems to know what you need to hear.
Therefore,
I tell you,
Do not worry about your life,
What you will eat or drink or about your body,
What you will wear.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes?
You notice a man making his way through the crowd.
He is one of Jesus' followers and he is asking for food.
Right,
You think.
Is he expecting the crowd to feed him?
Your son scampers over and grabs the basket off the ground.
He runs up to the man and thrusts it into his hands.
You are horrified.
No!
The words catch in your throat.
But it's too late.
Your stomach growls a loud protest.
Then you see your son's face.
As he heads back to you,
You notice the peace and joy in his eyes.
He is happy,
Content.
Okay,
You think.
He was being generous.
That is admirable.
Of course,
He doesn't know that there is no more food at home.
But God knows what you need.
That's what Jesus just said.
A tiny seed begins to take root.
At this point,
It's more of a what if than trust,
But it's a start.
You watch as Jesus approaches his follower and they converse over the contents of the basket.
The follower looks doubtful.
Jesus looks determined.
His followers motion for the people everywhere to sit down and a quiet expectation ripples over the hillside.
You find a place in the grass and point to the spot next to you so your son will sit too.
Jesus lifts his hands and gives thanks to God for the provision of the food.
Then he reaches into the basket,
Pulls out a loaf and breaks it in two.
He hands the two halves to a few children in the front of the crowd and they giggle.
He reaches into the basket and repeats,
You are counting.
Once he breaks and hands out the fifth loaf,
You hold your breath.
He reaches into the basket and pulls out another loaf.
Unbelievable.
You are on your feet,
But your son tugs at your sleeve and you sit back down.
Your eyes are fixed on Jesus as he continues to pull more and more loaves from the basket.
The bread makes it to you before he even starts in on the fish.
But you believe now,
You know what is going to happen.
You fill your stomach as the moments pass and the food continues to multiply.
And it's not just barely enough.
You have as much as you want and so does everyone in the crowd.
There are even leftovers,
Baskets full of leftovers.
Abundance.
Gratitude.
That is what you are feeling.
Jesus didn't have to demonstrate the lesson he was teaching,
But he did.
He chose to provide abundantly so that you and the others around you could understand that you truly do not need to worry.
You were concerned about getting enough to eat,
But God had a plan all along.
It is so easy to see the areas where we don't have enough,
But are there areas of abundance in your life?
Focusing on what God is doing helps us to trust him with our unmet needs.
I invite you to read John chapter 6 verses 1 through 15 and Matthew chapter 6 verses 25 through 34.
Then take a moment to think about the ways that God has provided for you in the past and let his faithfulness encourage you to trust him with the uncertainty of your future.
