O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? –Matt 16:8-11

Jesus serves up his disciples in these verses because they’re so focused on material and physical needs(bread) they cannot learn the spiritual lesson Jesus is trying to share. They cannot perceive what Jesus is saying because they still lack faith in him to provide and sustain them. I’ve often opened my Bible and read Jesus rebuke his disciples for their lack of faith and say, “What are the disciples thinking! They had seen Jesus perform tons of ridiculous miracles like feeding thousands with crumbs and yet they are still worried about their needs when they are walking with Jesus daily. Crazy?”

But is it so crazy? We get to read these stories with hindsight, we know how the story ends and that Jesus provides much more for the disciples and us than just miracles and food. But I’m now considering the fact that the disciples don’t have hindsight and they have human fears and worries because they are going through a battle every day? It’s much easier to sympathize for them now because you and I go through life the same way and often we doubt, worry and lack faith.

It seems the pressure of momentary life and a little time in between miracles causes humans to easily forget and doubt God. The disciples in this text aren’t our only examples but consider the people of Israel when God used Moses to free them from hundreds of years of slavery under Egypt. Think of all the miracles, signs and wonders God performed through Moses (plagues, parting of the Red Sea, Manna falling from heaven, the Rock that provided water, etc.) and yet Israel still doubted God. I will admit their lack of faith is sickening and a disgrace but are we so different? A miracle is a miracle no matter what size or form it comes in. How often has God provided or came through in a way you never expected? Sit and think………………

I recently was having coffee with a friend I hadn’t spoken to in a long time. I started recounting what had been going on in my life and time after time I mentioned how God miraculous provided or opened a door that I couldn’t have imagined or explained. Yet recently I have found myself stressing and worrying about things in my life and it just shows my lack of faith and sinful nature to doubt an all sufficient God. That I must repent of. It is amazing how the ups and downs of life mixed with a little time in between can cause me to quickly forget how God has always come through in the clutch. Lord, help strengthen my faith.