We have all seen these sales that have as part of their advertising, “While Supplies Last.” A study done by DigitalCommons at the University of Nebraska in 2013 monitored and surveyed 14 shoppers. Study participants shopped at various stores, with most stores using perceived scarcity strategies such as limited quantities and limited-time sales. The study found that the retail stores with this kind of advertising produced psychological effects such as consumer competitiveness, urgency to buy, in-store hiding, and in-store hoarding.
In John 6 we meet Jesus and the disciples. A large crowd is approaching them, and it’s about meal time. Jesus asks Philip where they can buy bread for all these people. (John tells us He was testing Philip.) Philip replies, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!” Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, speaks up. “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” He wasn’t even prepared to say, “We can feed them while supplies last.” How many from the huge crowd could have lunch from five loaves and two fish?
Sometimes our resources can seem just as limited. We as a church don’t have enough people or money to support that ministry. We don’t have any way to reach that group in our community. We don’t have the influence required to make a difference in that government policy.
Often as individuals, we can feel inadequate. We may feel called to do something but unable to accomplish it. We may think we lack the qualifications or experience. We can feel intimidated or unprepared. We are unsure if we can get the results we think are expected of us. So many of us experience this kind of anxiety.
What we have not reckoned with is the Lord’s intention. He was testing Philip, is He testing us? Is He facing us with a challenge that seems impossible so that we can afterward tell the story of what He does? If it had been possible to feed that large crowd with the resources on hand, there would have been no miracle and no story.
Are we trusting our five loaves and two fish or are we trusting the Lord’s ability to multiply our efforts?
Prayer: Father, help me to trust the resources of heaven today? As I see an opportunity to speak a word for You or offer a helping hand, give me the faith to believe You for the eternal fruit.
Author: Lindsay Hislop was raised in southern Scotland and southern Ontario and now lives in the southern United States. He worked in the engineering field for 15 years (mostly in Canada) before pursuing an academic career. He has taught for over thirty years at Columbia International University. He also serves as an elder in his church, where he teaches and preaches regularly. He is married to a wonderful wife Pam and has two terrific children, Holly, who lives in Canada, and Doug, who lives in Columbia. His four grandchildren, Isaac, Madeline, Lindsay, and Dolan, are also pretty special. He likes doing carpentry and odd jobs around the house.
