Matthew 15:29-39 ESV Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel. Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” And the disciples said to Him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, He took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks He broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. And after sending away the crowds, He got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.
What does it take to trust God? The disciples had every reason to trust Jesus yet when He tells them to feed this crowd they basically tell Jesus that it is impossible.
Let’s set the scene. For three days Jesus had been healing people of physical ailments. In other words, for three days Jesus repeatedly did the impossible right in front of the disciples’ eyes. Yet when He tells them to feed the crowd, they tell Him it can’t be done.
Did the disciples not remember a similar event not so long ago where Jesus fed an even bigger crowd from a boy’s packed lunch? You would think they would be excited that Jesus was giving them an impossible task because they would be able to watch Him do something great.
I shouldn’t be so hard on them though. Am I really much different? I’ve seen God do some awesome things. I’ve been allowed to participate in incredible events. Yet sometimes when God gives me a clear task, I can tell Him that it is impossible.
OK, I don’t actually say that to God, but my attitude and actions show that is what I truly believe. When I am told to forgive someone who has genuinely wronged me, I should get excited at what God is going to do in me and through me. At times I do but sadly, other times I keep a litany of offenses in my mind which makes the forgiveness all but impossible. Eventually I will repent but how much better if I had trusted God to work in the first place.
When I am told to love and pray for my enemies I should rejoice. If I obey willingly God will give me the love that I can’t muster on my own. But alas, they are my enemies for a reason and praying for them is impossible because I won’t let God work in me. Once again, eventually God grants me repentance but how much greater the joy and peace if I had let Him work in the first place.
God regularly calls us to do the impossible so that when we succeed, He gets the glory because we know we couldn’t do it on our own.
What is God calling you to do that you are saying is impossible. I encourage you to examine your heart and see if you are hindering any miracles that God is wanting to do in you and/or through you.
Lord, You are the God of the impossible. You have the power to do what You want. You can change me if I will let you. Grant me the faith to see the possibilities in the impossible.