Most people have had the experience of lacking, in essence, needing more of something than what is currently available. The very transparent issue is that most people have not studied the Word of God to learn how He desires to help those in need. What often happens when one is in need is that one’s cries for help are not rooted in God’s promises and faith; rather, they are just a call of desperation motivated by panic or fear. This action equates to as much faith as one carrying a rabbit’s foot or reading fortune cookies from a Chinese restaurant.
The Word demonstrates that it is through faith in Christ that we must operate through daily. Hebrews 11:6 (NLT) states, “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and rewards those who sincerely seek Him.” Through the very character of God and His promises, it should ignite the kind of faith that moves God and shows a trust in Christ that pleases Him.
There was a large crowd of people who were following Jesus Christ. The Scriptures tell us that 5,000 men, along with women and children, made up that crowd. These people were hungry to hear and be taught by Jesus. They were so enthralled that they did not want to leave, and as a result, they became hungry after exhausting whatever food they had. John 6:9 (KJV) says, “There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?” The Scriptures go on to show how Jesus prayed over what food they had, and as it was served, it supernaturally multiplied and fed the more than 5,000 present with food left over! In other words, God miraculously increased the meager food available – the natural mind can never comprehend such a supernatural deliverance.
When you have been lacking, you can genuinely identify with the pressure and stress of such a crisis. These situations can bring fear, hopelessness, and even anger and bring the worst out in us. Our mind focuses on the negative, and we are driven to levels of doubt that drown out our ability to ask and believe in faith that our Lord and Savior can help in our time of need. If we let our minds control our hearts during these times of lack, our faith will be diminished, and the very provisions of God will be stolen away because of our unbelief.
Those who are naturally minded in their thinking beyond their logic in that they compare all they believe with what they can handle through their senses. Thinking with only your brain will rarely lead to the yielding of God’s spirit through your heart. There is an entire dimension of God that one misses out on because they cheat themselves out of a supernatural blessing from God. Faith must be a foundation that supersedes natural reasoning.
As believers of Jesus Christ, we are blessed to have the ability to move from a natural thinking mindset to a faith-filled attitude that is based upon God’s covenant and promises with us. Never allow yourself to think Jesus wants you to lack in your life or is the one who instigates such lack. Abraham announced that the Lord is Jehovah-Jireh, my God, who shows me where my provision is.
Remember, there were 12 baskets left over after every man, woman, and child was fed. Was God careless in having so much food left over? No, He made sure that His provision would satisfy them for that moment and provide some nourishment during their return home. In addition, for the little boy who offered what little he had, God blessed him with more than he could probably take home.
Take a moment to consider this final point. That little boy had no idea how his meager offering would be used to provide a supernatural miracle for the more than 5,000 people. He did not need to know; all that boy required to respond to the spirit’s prompting. When we do our part, God will always do the rest. That is our God!
Let’s be obedient to His Word, take the measure of faith He gave us, and work it daily. As you exercise your faith, it will grow stronger and more prominent, and the impossible will no longer be a part of your vocabulary. That is where the supernatural provision begins!