Trusting Jesus When Life Is Hard: A Study on John 6Sýnishorn

A Test of Faith

Have you ever experienced a trial or hardship that made you question God’s goodness, faithfulness, or love? Have you ever felt tested or overwhelmed by the circumstances in your life?

You’re not alone. In the next few days, we’re going to look closely at the miraculous feeding of a crowd in John 6, where Jesus tested His disciples to challenge their faith—ultimately leading to a renewed understanding of who He is.

In today’s reading, we see a crowd of people following Jesus and His disciples as they crossed the Sea of Galilee. Jesus had been healing the sick, including a paralyzed man on the Sabbath, which brought criticism by religious leaders.

We can assume it’s been a long day for Jesus, and that He’s wanting to rest and relax. So imagine how He felt when He saw this large crowd approaching Him. Instead of running off and hiding from the crowd or being frustrated, He turned to Philip and asked a question:

... “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. John 6:5-6 NIV

Imagine how Philip felt about Jesus’ question. Maybe he felt a heavy weight and pressure to come up with the “right” answer. Surely he was filled with doubt as he considered the different options—struggling to believe Jesus could provide for the huge crowd, despite the miracles he had already witnessed Jesus perform.

Regardless of how Philip felt, they definitely needed a miracle if they were going to feed this crowd.

We’ve all been there. We’ve had circumstances that felt too big to overcome.

We’ve all had moments or seasons when our faith has been tested and we wonder if Jesus will actually bring answers to our prayers. This may even describe you right now.

Throughout the Bible, we see hopeless situations that look beyond repair and serve as examples to remind us that nothing is impossible with God. And James (in the New Testament) reminds us that our trials can actually produce good results—even if our situations don’t improve in the ways we hope:

... the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:3-4 NIV

While it might seem upside down, our trials can mature our faith and deepen our relationship with God.

Journal: Name a current trial you’re experiencing. Talk to God about the emotions that come up when you think about this situation. What are you specifically asking God to do? Draw near to God in prayer and allow Him to do a deeper work of trust and perseverance in you.

This Bible Plan is adapted from the free 4-week Bible Study, Jesus: The Bread of Life. You can find this study at: www.go2.lc/breadoflifestudy