Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.“ They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And he said, “Bring them here to me.” – Matthew 14:15-18
In this Scripture we find the disciples telling Jesus what He should do. It seems to be human nature for us to think that we have the answer to every problem. Many times, our solution is to blame someone or something; to provide the well worn, “If only” response.
Notice that Christ’s disciples justify their decision by implying that Jesus, perhaps, has kept the people too long. They tell Jesus the obvious; they are in a desolate place, and the day is over. There is no trace of faith in what the disciples say to Jesus.
Our Understanding
Christ’s disciples were leaning on their understanding, which is the opposite of what God’s Word states in Proverbs 3:5. So Jesus briefly puts the onus on them. He says, “The people are staying. You give them something to eat.” But as we see, Jesus doesn’t leave the burden on His disciples. He steps in and feeds five thousand men, not counting the women and children. Jesus is full of mercy.
When we pray do we tell God what to do? Do we tell Him “when”? Do we say, “If only…?” Do we abandon faith? Let’s not council Jesus, our Lord. Instead, let’s ask for big things but within His will and His way. Jesus fed thousands from five loaves of bread and two fish, so surely He can meet all of our needs. May we recklessly* throw all of our cares upon God because He cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7).
- Reckless – a state of mind in which a person acts without caring what the consequences may be
Photo by Kate Remmer on Unsplash
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https://www.rockexcavationservice.org/faith-is-like-breath/