As a single parent recently divorced, I faced the overwhelming challenge of providing for my children in a dangerous neighborhood where gunshots echoed nearby and drug deals were common. Most nights, I cried myself to sleep, overwhelmed and worn down by fear, praying consistently for a way out, not just for me, but for my children. My son’s school was routinely placed on lockdown because of weapons, further fueling my fear. Gunshots and loud noise from the neighbors robbed us of sleep. Fear made sleep a luxury. Yet, I held onto faith, praying earnestly for God’s intervention. Miraculously, I was able to move into a duplex in a safer neighborhood—all without a job at the time. God’s provision doesn’t just meet our needs—it exceeds what we dare to imagine.
“Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?”
~John 6:5
Jesus doesn’t ask for a plan—He invites our faith for His provision
Picture it with me, if you will (In my Sophia Petrillo voice, “Golden Girls fans, you’ll get this”). Jesus finds Himself in a remote place, where many have just been healed, yet now they’re hungry and pressing in close. Even before they asked Jesus had already seen their need and put a plan in motion to meet it. As John 6:5 highlights, He sees the crowd and asks Philip where they can buy bread for everyone, knowing full well what He is about to do. Philip responds, aware of the logistical challenge—nine miles away is the only nearby town, and their resources are scarce. Jesus’s question isn’t just about logistics; it’s an invitation to trust in His miraculous power. This moment reveals a God who doesn’t just see a need—He plans to meet it through us.
Jesus is always inviting us into a life of faith. Rather than feeding the crowd directly, He wanted His disciples to have a lesson on faith as the path to provision in this scenario. They would soon learn what many of us still struggle with: God’s provision rarely appears logical. We know that Jesus has never changed. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. Whenever we’re in a position where we have to depend on Him for provision, it’s good to remember that there’s always an invitation to trust that He’s not only going to respond to our receiving hands but also to our responding hearts. We must choose to allow our scarcity to drive dependence on a divine God who cares for us and loves us. Sufficiency begins when self-reliance ends.
In chasing a hustle, we’ve begun bowing to the grind. Sadly, this means we often turn to worshiping the resources and not the source. In the Lord’s prayer, there’s a pivotal mention, when we pray, we’re encouraged to ask God each day for our “daily bread.” What this means is that every day we should be relying on God for His provision for our lives and not trusting in ourselves or anything outside of His Sovereign hand. Whether we find ourselves in places of abundance or scarcity, we must realize that He is the only one who fills our cupboards when they run bare. It’s not weak to rely on God. It’s weak to pretend we don’t need Him.
In our lives today, we claim to trust God, but beneath the surface, we’re banking on savings, strategies, and status. It’s subtly lurking in the background. We may be depending on our savings account to save us, or maybe our ego, or the connections we have. Jesus, however, is standing at the door, and He’s knocking. These people were looking for healing, but they needed bread. Maybe what we’re asking for isn’t what we actually need, and Jesus knows the difference. He has the ability to provide all we need. He is not just a God who brings healing, but also one who provides all our needs, according to His riches and glory. What if obedience set the table before the miracle even arrived?
TIME OF REFLECTION:
** True faith doesn’t start with clarity; it begins with a question in this context.
** Our logistics can limit God’s miracles; faith opens the overflow.
Heart Probing Question:
**Are you waiting for bread, or leaning into the Provider?
References:
John 6:5
Matthew 14:15-21
Phil 4:19
Matt 6:11
Heb 13:8
Chronological Placement at Question #31 From The Thomas Nelson Chronological Study Bible
TSK Cross references were used here
Closing Prayer:
Jesus, I’m often stuck in my grocery list of needs when I pray. I’ve become so focused on the how, that I miss Your invitation to trust You wholeheartedly in every season of my life. Help me to answer Your question in faith, and lean into the provision You’ve already prepared. Amen
