Faith vs. Fairy Tales

Faith vs. Fairy Tales: God's Hand is Not Shortened

Two thoughts were in my mind as I lay in bed listening to my husband snore: first, I didn’t feel the least bit tired; second, I needed to spend some time in God’s word. Admittedly, it had been far too long since I had spent some true quality time reading my Bible. I kicked around a few excuses, before finally realizing that they were all ridiculous and then got out of bed. I picked back up where I had left off in Numbers, admittedly a dry book in spots, thinking that I would just try to read a little bit before trying to sleep again. But then I came across Numbers 11 which tells of God sending quail to the Israelites in the desert. This summer, we have been teaching children the story of Jesus feeding the 5000 so it was already on my mind. As I read Numbers 11, I couldn’t help but see the parallels between the two stories.

In both stories, Moses and the disciples are in the middle of nowhere and have large groups of “hangry” people to take care of. In the beginning, Moses is crying out to God about this huge nation he’s in charge of that is sick of eating only manna and wants some meat. Likewise, Mark 6 starts off with the disciples going to Jesus telling him to send the people away to get food to feed themselves. Both God and Jesus respond with a seemingly outlandish solution. God says, “You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you…” Jesus says, “You give them something to eat.” Both Moses and the disciples try to get God/Jesus to be more reasonable. Moses says, “The people among whom I am number six hundred thousand on foot, and you have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month!’ Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, and be enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, and be enough for them?” The disciples say, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” Essentially, both of them are saying, “There’s way too many people here, how the heck are we supposed to feed them all?” And that’s when things get real. God responds to Moses saying, “Is the Lord's hand shortened? Now you shall see whether my word will come true for you or not.” While Jesus doesn’t outright confront the disciples’ lack of faith, he does tell them to go gather whatever food they can find, which in some ways communicates the same thing. In other words, both of them are saying, “Seriously!? You’re doubting me?” And then both God and Jesus without actually saying it, basically go, “Watch this.” God sends quail by wind to the Israelite’s camp. The Bible says their camp was surrounded on either side by a “day’s journey” (in other words several miles) of quail stacked about a yard tall. Jesus starts multiplying 5 loaves and 2 fish until everyone has had more than enough to eat and there’s still 12 baskets full left over. In both stories, God provides exceedingly beyond what Moses or the disciples had ever expected was possible.

Okay so what’s the point? Ephesians 3:20-21 is the point, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” We like to share these neat miraculous Bible stories in church but sometimes we subconsciously treat them like they are just stories, almost like Christian fairy tales, of what God used to do. Some of us like to quote Ephesians 3:20 like it’s a cute, comforting phrase. Many of us probably think we really believe this. But how many of us are actually more like Moses or the disciples when a crisis comes. Moses and the disciples had seen God do amazing things and provide in miraculous and abundant ways prior to this, and yet when faced with a crisis they doubted. They lived as though they believed “God’s hand was shortened.” 

But God’s hand is not shortened. The same God who sent miles of 3-foot stacked quail on either side of a camp and multiplied 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish for 5,000+ people is alive and working in your life today. Stop living as if you believe God’s hand is shortened, as if he is unable to provide for you in whatever situation you face. Don’t just quote Ephesians 3:20 like it’s a cute, comforting phrase. Don’t retell these Bible stories like they’re Christian fairytales. Realize this same God is taking care of you. This same God can provide above and beyond, immeasurably more, than you could ever ask or imagine. Realize it, and then live that way when crisis comes. Remember these stories as fact, not fairytale, when tempted to doubt God’s hand in your life. It may not look exactly the way you think it will, but God is always faithful to provide. God’s hand is not shortened. 

Where do you need to trust God to provide above and beyond your expectations today? 

Bring Back the Baby Bottle

“Don’t cry, I’m only taking it away for a bit, trust me, I’ll be back, trust me,” I told little 6 month old, Elliot. I was babysitting for the evening and had been in the middle of giving Elliot his bottle before bed when his older brother, Leo, had gotten out of bed to go to the bathroom and couldn’t get his pajamas back on. I had to take the bottle from Elliot and set him down so I could go help Leo. While I knew that I would be back in just a minute or so to give Elliot the rest of his bottle, he certainly didn’t know that and promptly began to cry because I had taken something so good away from him. Though I care for children and work in children’s ministry where I am regularly teaching children, it amazes me how often children are the ones that teach me- even without meaning to! As I told Elliot that his bottle would be back in just a minute, I realized that God was trying to tell me something very similar.

You see, a little over a week prior to this, side effects of my brain infection as a 16 year old popped up for the first time in the 8 years since it happened and I had unexpectedly had a seizure. I am still waiting to be able to get into a neurologist to find out what exactly happened and get checked out. At least right now, the doctors in the ER led me to believe that it may have been caused by high blood pressure or stress. The doctor also told me that because I’d had seizures in the past, I am more prone to get them now without it being as serious of an issue (such as a brain infection like before). Though the brain infection and seizures the first time around was a big test of my faith, and a lesson I thought I had learned, I found my faith being put to the test all over again this time. As I voiced several of these concerns to my husband, he tried to calm me down by saying, “It will all work out. Just trust God with it.” 

I knew I needed to trust God… but honestly, I didn’t want to.

I found myself in a fit a worry. Why did I have another seizure? Was this something I was going to have to live with and constantly worry about the rest of my life? But even more so, what would I do if they took my license away?  I’m not quite familiar with the laws and procedures in New York, but I do know that in Pennsylvania you automatically lose your driver’s license for 6 months any time you have a seizure. What was I going to do? What would that mean for my work situation? How was I going to continue the ministry with CEF? I drive everywhere in the summer, what were we going to do? How would I survive without my license, without my freedom to go places? All of this was still on my mind as I took that baby bottle from Elliot and found myself saying to Elliot what I believe God was trying to say to me through my lack of trust. 

“Don’t worry. I’ll bring it back, trust me.”

I was reminded of Psalm 84:11 which says, “The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right” (NLT). I had no plans to keep the bottle away from Elliot, I just had to set it down for a while. I know that he needs his bottle, so of course, as his caretaker for the night, I had every intention to bring that good baby bottle back to him. In the same way, I realized my heavenly Father wasn’t going to withhold anything good from me… but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to take it away for a while. After all God knows what I truly need more than I do. Elliot couldn’t understand that I had to step away to care for his brother, he didn’t have the whole story and so he cried until I brought the bottle back. I can’t see all the details and pieces of the story I’m in right now, I don’t understand why this had to happen. It’s scary to be without “the bottle” when you don’t know why it’s gone or when it’s coming back. But God knows. God is in control. And even when life is not, God is good.

I still don’t have all the details. I’m still waiting to find out why the seizure happened. I’m still waiting to find out whether or not I’ll be able to drive. And honestly, I’m still struggling not to worry and trust God completely. But I know that God will not withhold any good thing from me, though I might still do some crying when he takes it away. Nevertheless, my hope remains in him alone. I am learning to trust that soon enough he will either bring back the “bottle” or replace it with something even better.

Of course as if Elliot didn't drive this point home enough, I really listened to the lyrics of this song this week too and it brought me to tears as it perfectly sums this all up. I hope it ministers to you and whatever your "baby bottle" may be.