It was getting dark in that small town. Every delegate was tired after the day-long project as a part of their new job with the Fire & Safety Services. Restaurants were not around and they felt so hungry. The director asked them to get ready with the dinner. Somehow they had forgotten about it completely and now they didn’t know what to do.
One got an idea. He ran into the make-shift kitchen and searched for any available food item. Interestingly he found one piece of fresh chicken pizza kept inside a paper bag. But that was all he could find. He reported this to his colleagues. Though they made fun of his ‘big’ discovery, still they informed the director about it. The more time passed by, the more they became tensed up.
But suddenly they heard the sound of a fast approaching vehicle. Coming to a screeching halt, they saw uniformed men rushing out of the van. Assuming it as a terrorist attack, they began to scream, “HELP!†Amazingly, they heard one ‘terrorist’ shouting back, “Yes, soon!â€
And they saw these men carrying a number of paper bags in their hands. The name on the paper bags read, “Tasty Pizzasâ€! The whole thing turned out to be pre-planned event by the director to see how his staff would respond to an emergency situation!
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This amusing story is similar to a remarkable incident mentioned in the Scriptures (John 6:1-13). When a large crowd was gathering around Jesus, He asked Philip, one of His disciples, “Where can we buy enough food to feed all these people?†The Scripture notes that Jesus asked this question to test Philip because He already had in mind what He was going to do!
Overhearing the question, Andrew, the brother of Philip, notified Jesus about a boy over there with five loaves of barley bread and two fish. With this tiny food package, Jesus went on to perform a food multiplication miracle where 5000 men were fed besides 12 baskets filled with leftovers!
Some times, like Philip, when you face unexpected situations, remember that God already has the answer in mind for that situation. But He may test you to know how you respond to that situation.
Never think that the Lord is not concerned of your need. He already knows what to do next. He wants you to trust Him without giving into reasoning or worry (Matthew 6:25-33).
Sometimes you may not know what you are supposed to do in unexpected situations. Remember: like Andrew, you need to do what you think right for that moment. When Andrew brought the insufficient food package to Jesus from that boy, both Andrew and the boy didn’t realize that these were the right tools for Jesus to do the miracle!
Jesus could have stopped doing the miracle because of Philip’s reasoning. But He saw the action of Andrew and the boy. And He did the miracle. God moves with those who move with Him! He is willing to do miracles for those who do what they can do.
This was an ‘out of the blue’ miracle. Like this, the Lord loves to give you surprises. He is always seeking your heart, not your resources. He can use any thing that’s in your hand – small or big – to perform a great miracle. So don’t despise little things and small beginnings.
You are in God’s mind 24/7/365. Don’t worry. Cheer up. He is standing close to you. He is a God of surprises.
And, when God blesses you, it’s not just for you alone. It’s also for thousands around you. Be ready to be a channel of God’s blessings in your family, work place and community.
So always remember this: God has the answer before He asks the question!
– – – written by Joe Abraham & Ancy Joe
