God Will Find a Way

One of the lectionary readings for this week is from Matthew 14:13-21 -- the Feeding of the 5000. Take a look at this verse:

Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."

"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.

The Disciplines reading for this passage stresses the word "only." We focus on the "only" of our situations.

• We only have enough money to feed 20 people -- the rest will have to find another way to get a meal.
• We only have 5 regular volunteers -- that's not enough people to staff a vacation Bible school
• We can only sing hymns that are played on the organ -- no one would like anything else.

Compare that to this:

At the installation service on Sunday, Ken Ramsey asked us to pray for our individual churches. Then he asked us to sing --

God will make a way where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see; He will make a way for me.
He will be my guide, hold me closely to His side
With love and strength for each new day.
He will make a way; He will make a way.

Can we really say "only" if we believe that God will make a way? They seem to me to be statements which cannot be uttered in the same breath.

Image: Red leaf from Spring Heights