Have you ever had your faith tested along your spiritual journey? How did a time of testing change you? Why does Jesus test our faith? The Lord knows how we will come through a time of testing, we don’t know. The Lord can teach us things during a time of testing we could not learn any other way. James tells us that a time of testing is particularly important in our spiritual development.
James 1:2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. [1]
Jesus Tests Philip’s Faith
In the story of the feeding of the 5000, Philip, a disciple of Jesus, was being tested.
John 6:1After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. 3 Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. 4 (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.) 5 Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” 6 He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. [2]
Philip’s hometown was near this area and he would have known where to buy bread. But Philip doesn’t answer Jesus’ question. Philip’s mind jumps ahead to how buying bread would even be possible. John 6:7Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!” [3] The amount of money needed points to how large this miracle would be and how much Philip could trust Jesus.
Jesus Tests Us with the Impossible
You see, Philip was challenged with an impossible situation and had no answer. Sometimes in life we are challenged with an impossible situation and the only solution is the Lord’s divine intervention. Maybe you are in that situation right now. Collectively our nation and the world are at a crossroads and everything is so broken that no individual or group can fix it. What should we do? What is the Lord teaching us? How is our current world situation testing the faith of each of us and the church as a whole?
It is very humbling when you are helpless and have come to the end of what you can do. A time of testing often points out that Jesus is the only answer to our problem. Testing leads us to humble ourselves and seek the Lord like we have never had to do before. A time of testing shows how desperate we are for God. Testing helps to understand the importance of depending on God and not ourselves.
To hear how Philip’s test turned out, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/encountering-jesus-with-a-crowd-of-5000
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.