Home Bible Study: Provision

Impossible is defined, as not possible; unable to be, exist, happen, unable to be done, performed, effected, etc.

Everyone has faced something that seemed impossible. Pastor Chuck Swindoll suggests the way to overcome impossibilities depends on how we view our impossible circumstance.

There are two schools of thought in dealing with impossibilities:

a human or divine point of view

a natural or spiritual point of view

a horizontal or vertical point of view

When we possess a human/horizontal perspective, we place our impossibilities in light of what the world says. We look to others for advice. We seek out help from people who have gone through our impossibility.

Should we determine to have a divine/vertical perspective, our focus is less on how those around us operate and more about how God operates.

When we look to God in the face of impossibilities, we position ourselves for help from God in our time of need.

How has God provided when you faced an impossibly in the past?

What impossibilities are you currently facing?

God Provides Physically

John 6:3–6 NKJV

3 And Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. 4 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.

Of all the miracles Jesus preformed on earth, feeing the 5,000 is the only one mentioned in all four Gospels. It occured at a time when the disciples were exhausted.

They went four miles out of town to find a secluded place to rest and 5,000 men arrived, nearly 15,000 if we include their wives and children.

The crowd was hungry and Jesus wanted the disciples to feed them. That was an impossibility. However, Jesus used this as an opportunity to test them so that He might teach them.

Would they look at this impossibility from a natural perspective? Or would they trust God to provide? They could not see how they could feed the crowd, it would cost six to eight month’s wages. They looked around to see what they had to offer.

John 6:9–11 NKJV

9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?” 10 Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.

Bringing the boy to Jesus was not necessarily an act of great faith. It could be that they wanted to show Jesus they were unable to meet all of the needs; it was impossible.

Jesus used this to show why it is important to trust God for provision. He took the food and gave God thanks. Jesus gave God thanks because He had a vertical/divine point of view.

After trusting God to provide, Jesus gave the food to the disciples to distribute. When everyone ate, there was twelve baskets left over for the disciples.

How has God provided for you/your family physically?

When has God taken a physically impossibility and provided supernaturally for you and your family?

God will provide for us physically because He always has more than enough.

God Provides Spiritually

John 6:33–35 NKJV

33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.” 35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

After providing food for the crowd, Jesus and His disciples boarded a boat and crossed the sea. When the arrived on the other side, the crowd was there with questions for Jesus.

Jesus identified the reason behind their questions. They ate physically bread and wanted more signs from Jesus. They remembered how God gave food to their ancestors when they were in the wilderness.

So Jesus explained, your fathers ate physical bread and were still hungry. When I multiplied the five loaves and fish you ate, but you will be hungry again.

However, there is bread from heaven that will come and provide for your spiritually. When you eat of this bread, you will never hunger or thirst again.

At the time, they did not fully understand what Jesus meant, but they wanted this bread. He explained that He is the bread of life.

Their physical problems seemed impossible. The disciples did not know how they could meet the people’s needs. But their spiritual needs were impossible to meet with human resources.

To receive spiritual help, they had to look up to Jesus. Every one has the same spiritual problem, sin. We are born into sin. We are born with a desire to do wrong. We are born with a taste and hunger for ungodliness.

But somewhere along the way, the Holy Spirit begins to work on us and we realize the world cannot satisfy our needs. With sin comes complications that make our lives seem impossible.

However, when we come to Christ, accept Him as our Savior, and submit to His plan for our lives, He provides for us spiritually.

What problems come with living a life of sin?

Share the story of when God saved you.

When has God provided for you/your family spiritually?

Challenge

John 6:41–44 NKJV

41 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42 And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus therefore answered and said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. 44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.

God works in the realm of the impossible. However, He will never force us to accept His help of provision. We have to come to Him, bring our needs to Him, and trust that He will provide.

While the disciples accepted the words of Jesus, not everyone was favorable to His message. The religious leaders complained about Jesus.

They looked horizontally. They could not see how Jesus, the son of Mary and Joseph, could be the one who would satisfy everyone’s spiritual hunger.

However, Jesus shows that we must make the decision to yield to the drawing of the Father and accept His invitation to allow Him to meet our needs, both physical and spiritual.

One author explained, “We all face impossible challenges. God’s answer? You take care of the addition; I’ll be in charge of the multiplication. And the mission I’ve called you to fulfill will be abundantly accomplished. You have my word on it.”

When we do our part, brining God our needs, prayers, praise, and worship, God will do His part and provide for us.

Before we pray, discuss honestly if we have the proper perspective on God’s provision.

What happens when we live horizontally, looking for others to provide?

When have we lived vertically, looking for God to help us when we face impossibilities?

What changes can we make in our walks with God to give God room to work on our behalf?

Prayer

Pray together as a family.

Tell God the impossible situations you are facing.

Ask God to help you have the proper perspective on these impossibilities.

Give God thanks for how He has provided and that He will provide in the future.