There is a rather surprising scene in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ, at least at first glance…
A crowd had gathered around him, and after teaching them for several days, he decided to give them food so they wouldn't lack strength on the way home. Given their large number, he had to multiply the loaves and fishes that were available.
But after giving them food, some of them again sought him out, and “Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.” (John 6:26-27)
Quite surprising when one looks at the periphery; one is quite inclined to ask the question: "What other reason is there to be happy, if not for this child, this job, this material possession with which God has blessed us? Isn't that the object of His blessing?" And yet, the Lord Jesus Christ reveals something else to us here: His Blessing, and especially His Miracle, has as its primary purpose to reveal His Person to us, in His omnipotence, but also His great Love. No doubt this began to escape Abraham our ancestor; the Father then had to ask him to sacrify Isaac, His only son; no doubt Peter and his fishing companions understood that, and they were then able to instantly abandon the fruitful catch they had just made, to follow Christ (Luke 5:1-11).
Sometimes, the needs that assail us are simply God's chosen means of getting our attention, and when He blesses us, His expectation is that we will embrace His Love, His Goodness, and His Sufficiency in our lives. Unfortunately, we are so often focused on the "blessing" and equate His miracle with a mere means of blessing us; yet the miracle is precisely the true Blessing, for it is the Revelation of Christ Jesus, and the object of our "blessing" will have been nothing more than a means used by God to reveal Himself to us.
May we, by the Grace of God, always grasp the true (and not apparent) purpose of every divine action. The Apostle John, by recalling this sequence in the life of Christ, allows us to understand this regarding the Miracle; later, the Apostle Paul will point it out to us regarding the Commandment. (1 Timothy 1:5).
Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, I want to always remember that You are the author and finisher of my faith. That You are the purpose for which God allows all things. (Hebrews 12:2)
Amen!