This is a Test

He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

John 6:6

Be careful when Jesus gets that twinkle in his eye. You can be certain that he’s up to something, and that “something” will inevitably grow your faith.

In the Bible, God never asks questions because he is lacking the answer. He asks because he wants us to think about the question. Jesus was the same. His questions weren’t meant to glean information; they were intended to make his audience think.

So when Jesus turned and asked Philip how they going to feed the crowd of several thousand, he wasn’t really looking for Philip’s ideas. He was redirecting Philip’s thinking.

I can see Jesus–obviously aware of the stress his question would create–smiling and asking innocently, “How are we going to feed all these people?” It was a nudge to his disciples to start thinking on a higher plane. God had bigger plans than just sending this crowd home hungry. But when Jesus uttered his next statement–have the people sit down–it probably didn’t sound so innocent. He was in business mode (that’s another devotion for another day).

What questions is Jesus asking you today? Let me restate that: What dilemmas has he placed before you? What seemingly no-win situations has he put you in? Between what rock and what hard place has he set you? You are not there by accident and he has not abandoned you.

You are being tested. There is a way out–a supernatural way–that God wants you to seek. It will both grow you and glorify him. So you don’t get to send the crowd home. You don’t get to punt. You don’t get to go all fetal. Jesus is smiling. Something big is up. Rise to this occasion and let God do something for you that only he can.