As they sing, the birds convey a sense of joy as if to say, “All is well,” with a confidence that comes from deep within and extends far beyond the earth and sky. Listening to their song is like listening to a parable, a more basic or simple presentation of the message at hand. Divine messages, signs, evidence, or assurances are all around, all the time.

Despite this, human nature is consistently tempted to tend toward throwing up our hands when situations seem impossible or the odds seem stacked against us. Yet, time and again, and perhaps when we least expect it, the stars align and “I Am” shines ever bright, reminding us that all things are possible for and through God.

The disciples, Philip and Andrew, basically tell Jesus that there are too many people, too little money, and too few items of food (John 6:1-15). They believe the situation is impossible and that there is no way for them to make a difference. Instead of forgetting themselves (and what they may be capable of, or limited to, on their own), they forget who is with them—Jesus!

This reaction or response, when faced with needs that are greater than what is known or visibly available to meet them, is nothing new. In the Old Testament in the second book of Kings, it is written, “A man came from Baal-shalishah bringing the man of God twenty barley loaves made from the first fruits, and fresh grain in the ear. Elisha said, ‘Give it to the people to eat.’ But his servant objected, ‘How can I set this before a hundred?’ Elisha again said, ‘Give it to the people to eat, for thus says the LORD: You will eat and have some left over.’ He set it before them, and when they had eaten, they had some left over, according to the word of the LORD” (2 Kings 4:42-44).

Faith calls us to remember and to grow strong in our belief that when genuinely striving to be faithful to God, ultimately, the odds are with us. Faith calls us to think beyond ourselves and to say with our entire being, “I believe. Show me how. Show me the way, Jesus,” and then to listen, trusting as we follow, “The hand of the Lord feeds us, answering all our needs” (Psalm 145:16).

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee.
A large crowd followed him,
because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick.
Jesus went up on the mountain,
and there he sat down with his disciples.
The Jewish feast of Passover was near.
When Jesus raised his eyes
and saw that a large crowd was coming to him,
he said to Philip,
“Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?”
He said this to test him,
because he himself knew what he was going to do.
Philip answered him,
“Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough
for each of them to have a little.”
One of his disciples,
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,
“There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish;
but what good are these for so many?”
Jesus said, “Have the people recline.”
Now there was a great deal of grass in that place.
So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,
and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,
“Gather the fragments left over,
so that nothing will be wasted.”
So they collected them,
and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments
from the five barley loaves
that had been more than they could eat.
When the people saw the sign he had done, they said,
“This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.”
Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king,
he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

– John 6:1-15