Losing my Patience?

John 6:30-36

I am losing my patience with this crowd! Weren't they part of the miraculous feeding of the five thousand? Here they are asking Jesus, "What miraculous sign then will You give that we may see it and believe You?...Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"

The manna - bread - they are referring to was given to the Children of Israel on thier way to the Promised Land. It appeared from heaven each day, except Sabbath, and each gathered enough to meet thier needs for that day. There was never too little, and if you gathered too much it spoiled. It was a picture of God's day by day providence for His people.

Jesus instructs us to ask for bread, "Give us today our daily bread...". He also tells us that we don't need to worry, and say, "...What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall shall we wear? For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them." (Matthew 6:32)

So - it's okay to ask God to provide what we need each day, in fact, He already knows about the need and anticipates our request. In asking we acknowledge Him as our Provider.

Now back to the crowd. If there's nothing wrong with asking, what made thier request sound so ridiculous? Well, first of all, if feeding over 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish isn't a miracle, then what is? Yet they have the audacity to ask, "What miraculous sign will You give...?" They weren't satisfied with the bread they received yesterday. They want more. They wanted to be fed every day by God's hand, just like their forefathers. Then they would call it a miracle.

Remember how the forefathers' felt after being fed manna every day? Read Numbers 11. The manna wasn't enough, they wanted meat; one miracle isn't enough - give us more God and we will grumble and complain against You if You don't!

Now I have to re-think my impatience with this bunch - why? Because it hits close to home. I've seen God provide over and again in my life, yet I don't always accept His providence with thanksgiving. The same grumbling and doubt fill my heart when God witholds something I want.

How ridiculous they didn't get it - how ridiculous that I dont!

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James 1:22