Stepping out in faith

We become so familiar with the wonderful stories in the Scriptures that it’s sometimes quite challenging to look at them with ‘new eyes'. One of the things I like to do is to try to imagine what it would have been like to have been a particular person, often quite a minor character in the story, and then to think what effect going through that experience might have had on their lives.

For example, how would you have felt if you had been at the wedding at Cana as a servant? You know that the wine has run out and you’re likely to be in trouble for not making sure that there would be enough. And then someone you have probably never seen before and know nothing about, tells you to fill the huge water jars with fresh water and take them to the host, your master, and present them to him. It says a lot about the quiet authority of both Jesus, and Mary, who tell the servants ‘Whatever He says to you, do it’, that they obey, and somewhere in those few moments of carrying the jars, the miraculous happens, and the water turns into wine.

Or how would you have felt as a disciple when Jesus tells you to feed the crowd of five thousand with just five loaves and two fish? Mark (Chapter 6) says that there were five thousand men, and it’s quite likely there were women and children as well, so it was a vast gathering to feed with such meagre supplies. It seems no miracle of multiplication happened when Jesus gave thanks, so how many people did they expect to feed with the small handfuls they had? They must have wondered what sort of reaction they would get from the crowd, most of whom, they thought, would remain hungry. But it appeared that when the disciples acted in obedience to His command, the miracle happened and everyone was satisfied.

In both those instances, Jesus asked those present to do something, on the face of it quite normal, but in the circumstances, potentially risky, to get out of their comfort zones and trust Him. And as they acted in obedience, He worked the miracles.

There are occasions in our own lives when Jesus challenges us to step out in faith, to do something risky for Him, but we can be sure that if He’s asking us to do something, He will equip us to do whatever it is.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I know that there are times when you have asked me to do something and I haven’t had the courage to step out and do it. Please forgive me. Please build up my faith and help me to know that if You command and I obey, You will fulfil Your commitment to me completely. Help me to fulfil mine to You. Amen.