Knowing It Is God But Your Flesh Is Saying No It Is Not

“When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.’ But He answered and said to them, ‘You give them something to eat.’ And they said to Him, ‘Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?’ But He said to them, ‘How many loaves do you have? Go and see.’ And when they found out they said, ‘Five, and two fish.’.” — Mark 6:35-38

There are times in our lives when we come face to face with human need. The challenge for us is in knowing if we should respond to that need. It may not be that we lack compassion – but that we lack faith – spiritual perspective.  Very often we are willing to give out of our excess but balk at the thought of giving something up that we need or might need to help someone who has a greater need.  We might even begin to think that we are the provider and not God – who is Jehovah Jireh.  The disciples saw the need – they had compassion – and turned to Jesus for the solution. Then Jesus told them to do it themselves.  God never asks us to do something that we can do on our own. He asks us to do the extraordinary – what is beyond us. 

The disciples found what seemed a drop in the bucket compared to the need of the people, but Jesus saw it as enough.  So often, I think, we trust more in ourselves than in God. We withhold the help needed because we focus on ourselves and our limits and say, “I can’t” or worse “I won’t”.  You may have heard the phrase “faith overcoming fear” that has taken prominence during the pandemic.  Actually, it has been with us from the beginning.  But all too often, our fear overcomes our faith.  We say “NO”, not because of a word from the Lord, but because we have focused on our frailty and limited resources.  We can talk a good game about God’s power and abundance, but when we only have 5 fish and 2 loaves, we back away. We justify are choice by saying we are being good stewards – when in fact we are protecting what we have – “it’s mine and I won’t share it”

We need spiritual wisdom and discernment to know when we should say “yes”. It not every time, but I fear that we miss seeing the hand of God too often because we lack faith. 

“Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.” – Proverbs 3:3-8

What has God challenged you to do that caused you to feint and perhaps to say “no”, when you knew it was God?

“ … to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” – James 4:17

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone