Consider God for Who and What God Is

“For they considered not [the miracle] of the loaves: for their heart was hardened.” (Mr 6:52 AV)

The context of this statement is Jesus coming to his disciples, walking on the water, in the midst of a storm.  They believed it as a spirit.  They cried out because they were frightened.  They were astonished at the power of the Son of God to quiet a storm.  Then, Jesus rebukes them for their unbelief and use the first miracle of the loaves and fishes as the premise of all faith.  One wonders why.  After Christ feeds another crowd in similar manner, the disciples soon forget the miracle and struggle with having no bread.  Why was this one miracle so important?  What is it that this miracle was the one that should have built in the heart faith which would enable the disciples to believe any further miracle they would see?  And, why is it that we have a hard time remembering the miracles of God once they are over?  How much does it affect our ability to believe more?

The miracle of the loaves and fishes is the only miracle wherein Christ creates out of nothing.  All other miracles he governs what He has already created.  Granting the dumb their voice, the deaf their hearing, the lame their limbs, and even the dead their life, are all miracle of working with what Christ had already created.  But the miracle of the fishes and loaves was the miracle of creation.  Taking a few loaves and fishes and multiplying them to a quantity not believed by any is astounding.  The miracle of creation is the miracle of a deity.  Mankind may, at one time or another, find cures for the deaf, the blind, and the lame.  We can even bring back someone from the dead, if given a few minutes.  But to create something out of virtually nothing is impossible for mankind to do.

When we have a hard time accepting God for who He is and what He is capable of, we often write off the hand of God to phenomenon.  We see His hand as an inexplicable mystery of wonder, often brings awe or worse, fear into our hearts.  When we accept God for who He is and what He is capable of, we will begin to see more and more of His hand!