BEFORE WE START
Have you ever been following someone and suddenly realized you have no idea where you're going? Maybe a friend says, "Trust me, I know a shortcut." And twenty minutes later you're thinking, I'm not sure this was actually a shortcut.
We like knowing what's ahead. We like having a plan. We like knowing where we're going, how we're going to get there, and preferably what could go wrong before we even start.
Following Jesus doesn't always work that way. Sometimes Jesus leads us into situations where we don't have all the answers. Sometimes we don't understand what He's doing. Sometimes the circumstances around us look completely different from what we thought God was going to do. And that's where faith becomes real.
It's easy to say we trust Jesus when everything is going well, but what happens when we don't understand? What happens when we're afraid? What happens when what we have doesn't seem like enough? What happens when Jesus asks us to trust Him without giving us the whole picture?
That's where we find the disciples in Mark 6–8, and honestly, I love this part of their story because they don't look like superheroes. They look like people who are learning, they've seen Jesus do incredible things, they still get confused, they've experienced His power, they still struggle with faith, they follow Him, and they're still figuring out exactly who He is.
Maybe that's more relatable than we realize.
UNDERSTAND IT
By this point in Mark's Gospel, the disciples have been with Jesus for a while. They've heard Him teach, they've watched Him heal people, they've seen Him cast out demons, they've watched Him calm a storm, they've seen things most people could never imagine, and yet, they're still learning what it means to trust Him.
In Mark 6, Jesus feeds thousands of people with five loaves of bread and two fish. The disciples see it happen. They're actually involved in distributing the food. They watch Jesus take something that looks completely inadequate and use it to feed a massive crowd. You would think that experience would settle everything for them.
But then Jesus sends them out onto the water. The wind picks up, they're struggling to row, and Jesus comes walking toward them on the sea. And instead of recognizing Him, they're terrified, and Mark makes an interesting observation.
They still didn't understand what the feeding of the five thousand had revealed about Jesus. They had seen the miracle, they had experienced His power, but they were still struggling to understand who Jesus really was.
And I think there's something incredibly human about that. Because haven't we done the same thing? God has come through for us before. We can look back and see His faithfulness, we know the stories, we've prayed prayers and watched God answer them, we've seen Him provide, and then another difficult situation comes along and suddenly we're wondering: "God, are You really going to take care of this?"
It's easy to judge the disciples until we realize we're not all that different.
Faith doesn't automatically become easy just because we've seen God work before. We're still learning, we're still growing, we're still figuring out what it means to trust Jesus when the circumstances around us don't make sense, and that's actually part of the journey of following Him.
There's a moment in Mark 8 where Jesus asks His disciples a simple question: "Who do you say that I am?"
That's really the question everything has been building toward. Remember, they've watched Jesus heal, watched Him provide, watched Him command nature, and they've listened to Him teach with authority. Now Jesus asks them to put it all together. Who is He?
Peter answers: "You are the Messiah."
And there it is.
They're beginning to see it. Jesus isn't simply a teacher, He's not just a miracle worker, He's not simply someone worth following because He can make their lives better. He is the Messiah.
And that's where faith begins to change everything.
Because if Jesus really is who He says He is, then we can trust Him even when we don't understand everything He's doing.
That's the difference between following Jesus because life is going well and following Jesus because Jesus is worthy of being followed.
I think that's one of the hardest parts of faith. We often want to trust God based on what we can see. If things are going well, we feel confident. If the prayer gets answered, we feel encouraged. If the door opens, we feel like we're on the right track. But what happens when the door doesn't open?
What happens when the prayer doesn't get answered the way we hoped? What happens when we're doing our best to follow Jesus and things still get difficult? That's when we're faced with a choice.
Will I trust Jesus because I understand what He's doing, or will I trust Jesus because I know who He is?
The disciples were learning the second one, and so are we.
Think about the feeding of the five thousand. The disciples looked at the crowd and basically saw a problem they couldn't solve. They had five loaves and two fish. That's it. It wasn't enough...At least, it wasn't enough from their perspective.
But Jesus wasn't asking them to create more. He was asking them to bring what they had, and Jesus did what they couldn't do.
I think we sometimes approach faith the opposite way.
We think we need more faith, more courage, more strength, more wisdom, more resources, more answers. Maybe what Jesus is asking us to do is much simpler: Bring Him what you have.
Your little bit of strength, your limited understanding, your imperfect faith, your five loaves and two fish, and trust Him with it.
Following Jesus by faith doesn't mean knowing exactly what He's going to do. It means knowing who you're trusting when you don't know what He's going to do.
And maybe that's where some of us are today. You believe in Jesus. You're trying to follow Him. But something isn't making sense.
Maybe you're waiting for an answer. Maybe you're walking through something you never expected. Maybe you've prayed about the same situation over and over and nothing seems to be changing. Maybe you're looking at what you have and thinking: "This isn't enough."
If that's you, remember the disciples. They didn't always understand, they didn't always get it right, they didn't always respond perfectly. But Jesus didn't give up on them.
He kept teaching them. He kept revealing Himself to them. He kept inviting them to trust Him. And He does the same for us.
Just because you don't understand what God is doing doesn't mean God isn't doing something. Just because you can't see the whole picture doesn't mean He can't. And just because you're in a storm doesn't mean you've stopped following Jesus.
Sometimes following Jesus means trusting Him in the middle of the storm.
LIVE IT OUT
Think about one situation in your life where you're tempted to say: "I don't have enough."
Maybe it's strength. Maybe it's patience. Maybe it's wisdom. Maybe it's courage. Maybe it's resources. Maybe you simply don't know what to do next.
Whatever it is, bring it to Jesus.
You don't have to pretend you're stronger than you are, you don't have to pretend you understand everything, and you don't have to figure out the whole thing before you take the next step.
Give Jesus what you have. Then trust Him with it.
THINK ABOUT IT
Take some time to honestly consider these questions.
1. What do you notice about the disciples' faith in Mark 6–8?
2. Why do you think we can see God work in our lives and still struggle to trust Him when something new goes wrong?
3. Have you ever been in a situation where you knew Jesus was with you but you didn't understand what He was doing? What was that like?
4. What are your "five loaves and two fish" right now? What do you have that feels inadequate but could be surrendered to Jesus?
5. What's the difference between trusting Jesus and simply trusting that things will work out the way you want them to?
6. Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" How would you answer that question today?
Don't rush through that last question. Really think about it. Not what your parents believed, not what you've always heard at church, not what you think you're supposed to say. Who do you say Jesus is?
Because eventually, following Jesus by faith comes down to that question.
PRAY IT
Jesus,
Sometimes I wish I could see the whole picture. I want to know what's coming. I want to understand why things happen. I want to know how everything is going to work out. But You don't always give me the whole picture.
Sometimes You simply ask me to trust You. Help me do that.
When I'm afraid, remind me that You are with me. When I feel like I don't have enough, remind me that You are enough. When I don't understand what You're doing, help me remember who You are.
You are not just a teacher. You are not just someone I admire. You are the Messiah. You are worthy of my trust.
So help me follow You by faith. Even when I can't see the whole road. Even when I don't have all the answers. Even when the wind is against me.
Help me keep my eyes on You.And help me trust You with whatever I have today.
Amen.
