Matthew 14:13-16 – “When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. 15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”

 16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” NKJV

How many times have we cried out in despair, “Lord, do something…”  Virtually every time we face a crisis or a problem of any proportion we resort to pleading for God to “do something.”  The disciples were no different than we and they saw the problem but were still deeply entrenched in their humanity which was more dependent on the arm of flesh than the power of God, so they saw a situation that could only be resolved by Jesus instructing the crowd to disperse, thus relieving them of any responsibility.  Even when I don’t hear it I see it in the attitude and action, “It’s not my problem” with regard to many problems involving the welfare of others.

I can visualize the look on their faces when they made their petition to Jesus asking Him to disperse the crowd and hearing something completely opposite of their expectation.  Jesus said, “They do not need to go away.  You give them something to eat.”  He knew, they recognized Him as the Messiah, the Son of God, and had witnessed Him perform miracles.  He had been teaching them as is later fully revealed, “The works that I do shall you do also…”  Remember the storm on the sea and when He quieted the storm He chided them for “smallness of faith?”  Remember when Peter walked on the water and began to sink?  Jesus referred to his “weakness of faith.”  Time and again, He had demonstrated what He would later detail, that He had power over all the power of the enemy and the power He had he was depositing in His followers.  They heard it but had not yet come to fully believe or apply it to their own lives and situations.  He was still visibly present with them, so they were comfortable “letting Jesus do it.”  No stress and no pressure on them.

Jesus was having none of it and when they complained that they only had “five loaves and two fish” He said, “Bring them to Me.”  If nothing is impossible with God and nothing is, then the object lesson He would provide would be etched in their minds eyes for the rest of their lives.  He was not simply suspending the natural law but was reinforcing His teaching to them and building their faith that when He was no longer with them in the flesh, they could as Peter would later do in Acts at the Gate Beautiful, “such as I have I give you.” 

There is a time to call out for God to intervene and a time to take what He has given and step up to the plate for your turn at bat and hit it out of the park.  If we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us then what obstacle is too great and what seeming impossibility is not possible?  There are and will be times when we cry out to the Lord, “Jesus, do something” He will say, “No, you do something with what I have given you.”

I challenge you to step out of the boat and begin walking on the water of life.  Dare to dream.  Dare to challenge the impossible with the possibility of God.  Dare to be “Christ in you the hope of glory.”  Greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world.  All things are possible with God.

            Blessings as you embark on your daily journey of faith!