Tested

"He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do." John 6:1-13

Test day. I remember all too well the feelings of discomfort connected to that expression from my school days. I was so thankful the last time I had to take one. Tests felt so much like a cruel game of, "Guess What I'm Thinking?" with the author of the test. During one particularly grueling test, I noticed one of my classmates cheating like there was no tomorrow. Predictably, he aced it and I let's just say, didn't. It occurred to me later that I was actually being tested in two different ways that day. By God's grace alone, I passed them both.

Philip was in the hot seat that day. Jesus, out of the twelve disciples, decided to single him out for testing. From all appearances, there was a massive resource shortage. Five thousand men plus women and children all hungry up against whatever money Judas had in the money bag. Philip was apparently incredulous as he emphatically laid out for Jesus the economic reality that it was simply impossible for them to feed all those people. So, how'd Philip do on his test? Later, as he stuffed his basket full of leftovers, I wonder if he came to terms with the flaw in his calculation.

Philip sounds so much like me. I was quite thankful Jesus didn't pick Thomas for this test! Sometimes, I forget that God is testing people today: you, me, all of us. When we get squeezed, what comes out? When people say things or act in ways we don't think they should, what do we do? When invited into deep waters of faith by Jesus, do we jump in? When the Bible's teaching and the world's opinions collide, upon which hill do we stand? It's an amazing journey walking with Jesus, as Philip and the other disciples found out. We will be tested to be sure. However, we'll also get to experience God's possible in the midst of all of our impossibles.