Are you comfortable in large crowds? Do you prefer being in a crowd over being alone? When you see people in need, do you have compassion for them? Are you prepared to demonstrate your compassion? Are you willing to feed the hungry? Are you willing to clothe the naked?
Large crowds can make some of uneasy. We may prefer smaller groups of people. Some of us may prefer to be alone. Being alone can be good for a short period of time, but we all need social interaction, whether it includes just a few people or much larger crowds.
We may feel sorry for people in need, but we may not feel true compassion, at least not in the way Jesus did. The compassion Jesus felt always caused him to go into action. He never felt compassion and did nothing. When there was a crowd of five thousand who followed Him, He knew they needed to eat, and His compassion drove Him to feed them.
Before Jesus feeds them, He tests His disciples. Have you been tested by Jesus? There are times in our lives when we are. God knows our faith. He knows how deep it is. He knows how wide it is. He tests us to stretch our faith, to grow our faith, and to show us he is much bigger and more capable than we give him credit for. That’s what Jesus was doing with His disciples.
As we respond to God’s tests, God shows us something new. The question is whether or not we recognize the lesson he is teaching us. Will our eyes be opened, or will we be blind and not recognize the lesson? The disciples saw for little, but soon forgot. They did not put it all together until the Holy Spirit came upon them. We have the Holy Spirit to help us. Therefore, we need to rely on the Holy Spirit to reveal the lessons God is teaching us.
I pray we all recognize God’s tests. I pray we see and understand the lesson God is teaching us. I pray each one of us will depend on the Holy Spirit to guide us and reveal God’s will for us. Recognize God’s tests. Recognize God’s lessons. Rely on the Holy Spirit. Seek God’s will.
John 6:5 When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?”
Marty Pressey 