Do Not Limit God

Have you ever been in a situation where you did all you could, and it wasn’t enough? You may be wondering how God is going to come through for you but dare to believe God. He specializes in impossible situations, and he can do anything but fail. God will come through for you. Don’t limit him.

In the book of John, chapter 6, Jesus went up into a mountain with his disciples, and a great multitude of people gathered around him to hear him preach. No doubt, these people had traveled long and hard to listen to him.

“When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” (John 6:5). I love how Jesus included himself in the situation.  “And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do” (verse 6). Jesus knew exactly how he was going to feed the crowd of people.

God is not sitting on the throne, scratching his head, wondering how he is going to work things out for you. You may be a businessperson, and the finances are not coming in as quickly or as much as you had hoped, but trust God. He has everything figured out. He is your Jehovah Jireh, and he will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory (Philippians 4:19).

So, Philip answered Jesus, saying, “Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little” (verse 7). In other words, Philip was telling Jesus there was no way they could afford to feed such a gathering. The men alone numbered about 5,000. It was impossible, as far as his calculations concerned.

But another of Jesus’s disciples, Andrew, spoke up. “There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?” (verse 9). Philip was worrying, and Andrew was complaining. Both were observing the situation from a natural perspective.  

The miracle worker was right in their midst. But Philip and Andrew were so consumed with their limited resources, they almost analyzed themselves right out of a breakthrough. Have you ever done that? It is okay to reason and calculate, but do not stop there. The Bible says in Proverbs 3, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (verses 5-6).

God is your provider. He will make a way where there seems to be no way. You may be up to your eyeballs in debt, but he will deliver you. He said in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

“And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would” (verses 10-11).

Notice how different Jesus’s attitude was compared to his disciples. He did not doubt or complain but instead gave thanks. Sometimes we are guilty of hindering our miracle with our unbelief and negative words.

Now it is okay to face reality. Some religious people take positive confessions too far. But after we are done with our analyzing and calculating, it is time to lift our eyes to heaven because our help comes from the Lord (Psalm 121:1-2).

So, Jesus gave thanks, and then he broke the bread and blessed it. Sometimes God will break you before he blesses you. Sometimes he will try you before he promotes you. He has to prove you with the little things before he can trust you with great things. You may only have a few cents in your pocket but give God thanks for it.

Quit focusing on what you don’t have. Shift your mentality and put your eyes on Jesus. Lift your hands to heaven, and say, “God, I thank you for what I have. I thank you for being so good to me. I may not have everything I want, but I have everything I need.” Take a moment right now and give God praise for what he has done in your life.  

Ask him to forgive you for complaining. Stop stressing yourself out. You cannot solve your own problems, and God doesn’t expect you to because if you could, you wouldn’t need God. God isn’t asking you to figure it out. He is just asking you to trust him. Cast your cares on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).

OBEDIENCE IS KEY TO YOUR MIRACLE
 
So, Jesus gave thanks for the five loaves and two fishes, and he broke it and gave it to his disciples to give to the people. Philip must have thought it was very noble of Jesus to give thanks for the little, but now there he stood, facing over 20,000 people with a piece of bread in his hands.

And the first man in line looked like an empty refrigerator, as Evangelist Bonnke once said. Philip slowly approached him. Imagine the uncertainty on his face as he gave away the first piece, then the second, and then the third.

Two more people and their five loaves would be out. But Jesus did not expect his disciples to multiply the food. He just asked them to obey. All God wants is your obedience, so take a step of faith. Do not walk by sight. God will raise your Lazarus from the grave, but you must roll away the stone.

So, Philip and Andrew and the rest of the disciples fed the fourth person and the fifth person. And then something wonderful began to happen. Philip approached the sixth person, then the tenth, then the twentieth, and yet every time, he returned to the basket, it was full.

Now he became excited. His faith began to come alive. They should have been out of food by now, but somehow, they weren’t. I can imagine Jesus just watching them and smiling.

Andrew started walking around with confidence. “Anyone wants seconds?” he began to call with his head high. “There’s enough for everybody!” You know how bold we can become when God starts working for us. Our faith that once as small as a mustard seed becomes an ocean.

BE A GOOD STEWARD
 
“When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost” (verse 12). God does not believe in wasting. The Bible says, “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich” (Proverbs 10:4). Use everything you have. Use it before you lose it.

“Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten” (verse 13).

Jesus took five loaves of bread and two fish and fed over 20,000 people. And everyone ate until they were filled. And there were leftovers! Isn’t our God good? Don’t limit him. You may only have five loaves and two fish, but little is much when God is in it. He can do the impossible. Nothing is too hard for him. Just trust him. He will give you a miracle of supernatural increase. Don’t limit God!

God bless,
Pastors Sean and Aimee Pinder