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?
