John 6:5-7, “When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.”
In John chapter five we find the Lord lifting His precious eyes and looking on a multitude of people. According to Matthew 14:21, there were “five thousand men, beside women and children” present that day. When the Lord asked Philip where “shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” Philip’s response was “two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.” Yet the Lord, in His all sufficiency, “filled” everyone which was there, and there were “twelve baskets” that remained. And this miracle, in which the Lord manifested His sufficiency, is one that comforts the hearts of His little children during their times of troubles and doubts. For just a few moments, I would ask the reader to consider:
(1) The Lord’s sufficiency in eternal grace! Many children of God go through this life without comfort and assurance in grace. As a laborer in the gospel, I pray and long for every child of grace to be established in the precious hope we have in Christ Jesus. But there are many of His little sheep who go through life filled with the worries and fears of hell and eternal torment. There is nothing that fills my heart with more joy than preaching about the Lord Jesus Christ and the work of salvation He finished on the Cross of Calvary in the room and stead of His people. How that He “by himself purged our sins” (Hebrews 1:3); how the angel said that “he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21; and how “by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” Dear child of grace, if you are worried about the judgement of God upon you for your sins and shortcomings, it is a great evidence that the Lord of Glory has saved you by His sufficient grace. There is no other debt owed; there is no eternal judgement to face; there is a glorious and beautiful heaven in your future. Why? Because His grace is sufficient.
(2) The Lord’s sufficiency in His temporal help! The children of God through the generations have faced many trials, tribulations and afflictions. In those troublous times they have called upon the Lord for help. What a great blessing it is to have the knowledge of His temporal grace and help being sufficient to rescue and deliver us in those times of need. What a rich blessing to know that there is no den of lions too big (Daniel 6:16-23); no opposing army too large (Judges 7); no giant too tall (1 Samuel 17); no sea too deep and wide (Exodus 14); no disease or sickness too severe (Mark 5:25-29); no valley too low; no trouble or tribulation too much for our Saviors sufficient temporal grace. The Lord told Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for thee:…”
(3) The Lord’s sufficient power to translate, resurrect and take His family home one great and glorious day! Dear child of grace, there is a day coming when the Lord will descend from heaven and call His people home. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 declares unto us this precious and comforting truth and His grace will be sufficient so that no one will be left behind. No, not even one of His children will wake the next day and say, “He just was not able to get me there”, because the Lord and His marvelous, sufficient power will get the job done. What a day that will be, and until that day may we all be comforted and encouraged in our God’s all sufficiency. Amen!