Tax Money in a Fish’s Mouth!

God can restore whatever has seemed dead in our lives with just a single word. Are you having financial problems, unable to pay your bills? So it was with the Lord’s disciples.

When tax time came around, Christ and his disciples had no money to pay the needed amount. So how did the Lord fix the situation? He sent Peter out to fish. “Go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give to them for Me and you” (Matthew 17:27).

I can only imagine what Peter must have thought: “Tax money in a fish’s mouth? This I’ve got to see. I’ve been a fisherman all my life and I’ve seen a lot of things inside fish — worms, hooks, seaweed. But I’ve never seen a coin.” Yet, when Peter reeled in the first flopping fish, he opened its mouth to find a gleaming coin — enough to pay their taxes, just as Jesus had said.

Why did the Holy Spirit move upon the gospel writers to record this story? And why didn’t Jesus just take up an offering, or send the disciples out to work for a day to bring in wages for the tax?

I believe Jesus moved supernaturally here because he wanted to prove to his children that he will do the impossible for us. He can fix any problem! He wanted us to know he is the same God who fed Elijah with bread and meat delivered by ravens (1 Kings 17:6); kept a widow’s barrel of meal from dwindling during a drought (1 Kings 17:14-16); and fed a crowd of 5,000 with a few fishes and loaves of bread (Matthew 14:19-21).

God knows that at certain times in our lives only a miracle will do and he wants to assure us he can do the impossible for us, in any situation. Beloved, believe God to provide for you in every area of your life because nothing is impossible with him.