He said this to test him

“He said this to test him” (John 6:1-9)

Christ has been talking to a multitude of people according to John, to other gospel accounts the number of men was 5000, that doesn’t count the children or women.  Christ looks up and sees that it is late and asks  Philip “where shall we get food for all these people?”  He didn’t ask this to Philip to have him say we cannot afford, this He was testing him.  I stopped and thought about this for a awhile, why test him with this question?  Isn’t a test from God to be when we are tempted to sin against Him?  What if our Idea of being tested is all wrong, we know that God cannot tempt us to sin against Him.  In fact if we look at the story of Job, we see that God allows Satan to take things away from Job, knowing that Job is not going to give up His faith in God.

Too many times we think of being tested by God when we have a bad day at work, or  our spouses are in a bad mood, maybe  we have  it all wrong? When we read  James 1:2-4 we see a different picture James says, “whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. ³ For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ⁴ So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.”  James talks about how when God tests our faith in Him,  Christ knew what He was going do He wanted Philip to have faith that He could do it.  The picture that James is painting here is one of Faith, that do not worry I can feed all these people.

We can’t afford to feed all these people.

Philip looks over the crowd and says we cannot do it we cannot feed them, there’s not a enough money.  Isn’t that our response at times when God ask us to put our faith in Him, come and give yourself to me, “I can’t right know I just have to do a few more things.”   Continue to give to the poor, “I need money too why can’t they go out and get a job.”   Go and serve me as a missionary over in India, “I can’t do that I have family to think of.”  When God comes and asks us to do something He already knows the outcome He desires to use us in order to Glorify His  Kingdom.  He is also giving us an opportunity to show Him how much we love Him and trust Him.