The Test
By Pastor Timothy Burdick
"When
Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming
towards Him, He asked Philip, 'Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?' He asked this only to
test him, for he already had in mind what He
was going to do" (John 6:5).
How
would you feel if Jesus asked such a
question of you? What would your answer be?
Those
of us who have been Christians for awhile
have probably felt like God was allowing us
to be put into impossible situations from
time to time. Philip must have felt like we
do when facing one of life's dilemmas.
He was
sitting in front of a huge crowd out in the
country. I can see Jesus turning to him,
asking him where he intended to get food out
in the middle of nowhere. You can almost
hear the wheels turning in Philip's mind as
he tried to figure out the answer to this
problem. Many times when we face life’s
complexities, we try to figure them out on
our own, rather than looking to God. I
believe that Jesus tests us just like He did
Philip. The Bible talks about how the trials
and tests that we face can be used by God to
strengthen and refine our faith. We will
learn beyond a shadow of a doubt that if we
put our trust in God, He has things worked
out for our best. Just as He knew what He
was going to do in that situation, He knows
what we need in our everyday lives.
Are you
going through a dark time in your life where
you can’t seem to see the light at the end
of the tunnel? Don’t be like Philip and
merely try to figure out the situation; for
relying solely on ourselves is the enemy of
faith. Philip had his mind fixed on the
circumstances at hand, instead of focusing
on Jesus.
Whatever you are facing, instead of trying
to focus on the light at the end of the
tunnel, focus steadfastly on the light of
the world. Just as Jesus multiplied the
loaves and fish that day, if you only trust
God you will see this same multiplication of
strength and grace in your life. You can
pass the test that God has set before you
with flying colors.
Visit Pastor Timothy at New Vision Ministries website www.mynvm.org
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www.FridayStudy.org
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