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?” But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. John 6:5-6
Something that is beyond our natural understanding is said to be a mystery. There are plenty of mysteries in the world that God has created. All around you are things that are outside of your ability to comprehend. When God created the heavens and the earth, He gave us so many mysteries, you will never run out of things to wonder about.
But, all of those mysteries are not just to baffle you or keep you in the dark. Rather, all of God’s creation declares His glory. When you are reminded of how big your God is you are in a good place to trust Him for that which is too much for you to handle on your own. The world will always be filled with mystery, for we ever only see the mere edges of His ways in creation.
All of this brings us to our truth for today: There are plenty of things in your life that are a mystery to you but they are not a mystery to God — He knows and sees everything! Even the farmer, as the Word of God points out in Mark chapter four, does not know how his crops grow. He prepares the soil, plants the seed, tends to it, but only God can make a plant grow. The Farmer works with the Lord but he cannot do it without Him.
Many times, you know what God can do and you even believe He will keep His word, but that does not mean that you know how or when He is going to do it. You can have confidence that the sun is coming up in the morning, but that doesn’t mean you understand all of the details as to how everything works. You can know that the wind is blowing even though you cannot see it and you cannot explain where it comes from or where it goes!
Every day will bring with it some mystery; some things that are beyond understanding. One of the big mysteries of life is “How can a perfect God love imperfect people?” and the answer (which is a mystery, but one that is revealed through the Word of God to His children) is that He loves us. Jesus loves you perfectly and completely. And every morning, His steadfast love for you is new. You can have a fresh start every day.
Sometimes you may face situations that don’t seem to have a way out. It’s times like these that you have to hold on to your faith in the One who never lets go of you. When Jesus asked Philip where they would get enough food to feed a multitude of people, Philip did not know the answer to that question. The first thing he began to do was quantify the problem. Sure, it was a mystery to him how or where the food would come from for that huge crowd but for Jesus there was no mystery, He already knew what He was going to do.
The key is to not focus on the unknown, the mystery, but rather focus on what and on Who you know. You know what God has promised in His Word and you know Jesus and how faithful He has always been in your life. The mysteries of life just serve to keep your eyes on the Lord and your trust in Him. But how is He going to come through? That’s a mystery!