Why Doesn’t Jesus Fix This Problem? - Encouragement for Today - July 31, 2026
Why Doesn’t Jesus Fix This Problem?
LYNN COWELL
Lee en español
“When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, ‘Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?’” John 6:5 (NIV)
Each week at the food bank where my husband and I volunteer, the number of people in need continues to grow. Children are going hungry while elderly individuals and struggling families face the crushing burden of rising costs.
The needs in our community — likely similar to the needs in yours — can feel overwhelming at times. In the face of such hardship, it’s natural to wonder if one box of food can really make a difference.
Why doesn’t Jesus just fix this problem?
In his Gospel, John shared a firsthand account of Jesus and His disciples facing a dilemma of human hunger. In John 6:1, they were followed by a huge crowd of over 5,000 people who were seeking miracles and teaching from Jesus. “When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, 'Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?'” (John 6:5).
Why would the miracle-working Son of God, who was both God and man, able to fix the problem on His own, involve someone else?
Jesus could have called on His Father to send in some bread just like God sent manna to the Israelites in the wilderness. Jesus had already proven He could do miracles by turning water into wine (John 2:1-12) and telling a neighborhood outcast at a well everything about her life, even though they had just met (John 4). Jesus had given a disabled man a new lease on life when He healed him, saying, “Pick up your mat and walk” (John 5:8, NIV).
There could be many reasons why Jesus asked Philip where to buy bread for over 5,000 people. But I think one reason is that the Son of God didn’t want to do His Father's work alone. He wanted partners who would, with Him, bring the Kingdom of God to earth through a miracle of loving provision.
When Jesus says, “Come and follow Me,” He is, in essence, inviting us to give up our way and practice His way of love with Him.
It’s what He’s still saying today. Yes, Jesus is still fully capable of performing miracles, and He still chooses to invite us into partnership with Him in the work He is doing, such as feeding the hungry in our communities. Helping people in want can also be deeper and bigger than just food or physical resources. Jesus wants us to do what He did and does, partnering with Him to bring His unconditional love to our communities.
We have the opportunity to partner with the God of the universe, the Maker of everything and everyone, to bring His love and His Kingdom into the earth and restore others to the love of the Father.
Jesus, what an invitation! To partner with You to bring the Kingdom of God, the love of the Father, into the world. With Your help, I accept Your invitation. Show me my next step. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
Sometimes we face a situation so difficult that we don’t feel like we can just “let it go.” So we exhaust ourselves trying to manage it and make sure everything turns out OK. We don’t want to keep doing this, but the truth is … we’re afraid of what might happen if we don’t. So what is the driving force behind us constantly stepping in instead of just trusting the Lord to handle it? Lysa TerKeurst created her free, five-day devotional The Hidden Cause of Control Issues to help you unpack this on a personal level. You can sign up here!
ENGAGE
Seeing the needs in our communities can be overwhelming, paralyzing us to the point that we do nothing at all. Join Lynn on her site, where she’s sharing what has helped her discover what it can look like to partner with Jesus to show His love in our communities.
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Esther 4:14, “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (NIV).
How might Jesus be inviting you into partnership with Him in your community? Look around you, and identify one need where you can partner with Him to bring His love to those who are hurting.
Now that you have identified one need, pray, asking the Father to guide you to where you can learn more about this need as you move toward partnering with Him to meet it.
Consider studying the life of Esther, a woman who saw a need in her world, took action, and was used by God to address it. And we’d love to hear from you in the comments!
© 2026 by Lynn Cowell. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
