IT'S JUST A TEST

The disciples and a huge crowd of people had been camped out on the side of a mountain for three days - listening to Jesus.  Bible scholars estimate that there were at least 30,000 people on that camp-out!  Jesus so captured their attention that no one wanted to leave.  He looked at that massive crowd and said to his friends, "Where can we buy bread for these people to eat?"  

This question was so ludicrous to His disciples that Andrew, Peter's brother, shot back a sarcastic response - "Here's a kid with a lunch!  Let's see, he's got five little barely loaves and two small fish!"  Philip stated what all of them were thinking, "EIGHT MONTHS WAGES wouldn't even buy enough bread for every one to have just a tiny bite!!"  John writes, "Jesus asked this question only to test them for He already had in mind what He would do." 

Every word Jesus spoke - every deed Jesus did - was intentional and scripted by His Father for an eternal purpose.  Jesus never stopped teaching.  His mission was to get this crew that His father had chosen, ready for what He'd destined them to do.  While He went about healing the sick and sending demons back to hell, He poured Himself into these men that would one day believe so strongly that He was indeed the Son of God who came to take away the sins of the world, that they would die for the sake of His Name.  Every moment He spent on earth was to show these boys the Kingdom way of doing things, it was to convince them that nothing was impossible with GOD, it was to show them that they were aliens passing through on their way to a forever that would take their breath away, but until they arrived, they'd been given the task of taking HIS STORY to the world. 

"Hey my friends, where can we buy bread for these people to eat?" 

"Jesus asked this question only to test them for He already had in mind what He would do." 

The disciples watched as Jesus lifted that little boys lunch up to the heavens and thanked His Father for what He was about to do.  They saw with their own eyes those five barely loaves and two tiny fish multiply into so much food, that there were twelve baskets of leftovers!!  But even after they witnessed such an incredible miracle, their faith was still lacking, because that very night when they found themselves in a boat in the middle of a storm, they were terrified, and the next morning when they were hungry they wondered where they'd ever find food!?!?!  

Through their entire earthly journey with Jesus they never quite got it, in fact, it wasn't until after He was crucified, and resurrected, and walked through the wall of the room where they were hiding from the Romans, that they finallybelieved that He was indeed The Son of God, their Redeemer.  

What's beautiful, is that despite how slow to learn they all were, Jesus never gave up on them. 

Not once did He throw His hands up in the air and write them off.  Never did He question His Father as to why on earth, He would have chosen these guys for such a task?!  Jesus was well aware of what His Father had written for these men before He spoke the world into existence, because Jesus was there when He wrote it!!  

Jesus looked past what they were, to what He knew they would become. 

Jesus knew that one day these men who on the night He was betrayed would run away in fear, would one day do greater things than He was doing!! 

Jesus knew they would die making His Name famous.  

Jesus still asks us questions today to test us, and He still always has a perfect plan for whatever situation we find ourselves in, and He still knows that one day, we'll finally 'get it'.  

He still keeps wowing us, despite our doubts, and He still walks through walls to speak peace into our fears - because just like with His disciples, He's fully committed to getting us ready to fulfill the destiny that The Father has had written for us before there was time!!!   

Whatever question He is whispering into your spirit today, know that HE ALREADY HAS IN MIND WHAT HE IS GOING TO DO! 

Know that He is testing you, longing for you to look into His face and declare with assurance...

"JESUS! We KNOW, you know that answer to that question already!  We KNOW you have a plan, so our trust is in you!!!  We say, WOW US JESUS!!!  Wow us with your power and your provision!!! Do what ONLY you can do!!!!  WE choose to trust you!!!  We choose to remember that you go before us and that you you have our backs!!!  We choose to remember that the SAME power that raised you from the dead, now LIVES IN US!!!  We choose to keep our eyes FIXED on you!!!  You have showed us over and over and over again, that there is never ANYTHING to fear or fret about!!!  You have proven to us countless times, that you don't lie, you don't fail and you never, ever break a promise - so WE TRUST YOUR WAYS - and we wait with expectation to see your plan unfold......"

"Hey my friends, how do you suppose a nation like Haiti can be turned inside out and upside down for me?!!?!"  

"AHAHAHAHHAHAA JESUS!!!!!!!!  We KNOW you have plan and we are so thankful that you have given us front row seats to watch it all happen................." 

May His presence be more real to you today than any turmoil you may be facing, and may He bless you in abundance for your faithful intercession for two cracked pots that KNOW He has a MIND BLOWING plan for Haiti and who live to make Him smile....

M & S