Reading: John 6
Scriptures:
John 6: 26 - 27A
26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.
John 6:51
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
Observations:
The first verse:
John 6: 26 - 27A
26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.
It is the day after the first miraculous feeding. Jesus and the disciples had managed to get to the other side of the lake without any of the thousands of people noticing. They jump in the boats that are there, and cross the lake to find Him.
When they find Him, he calls them out.
"You are looking for me because you are hungry and know that I can feed you, when you SHOULD be looking for me because of the miracle that you witnessed. You know... that whole five loaves feed five thousand thing? Wake up! It's not about food! And for crying out loud, it's NOT ABOUT YOUR STOMACH!!!"
The second verse:
John 6:51
51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
He is comparing Himself to manna from Heaven.
Manna came down every day, and they could only take enough for that day.
Jesus is our manna, and what we take in each day is only enough for each day. To truly be feeding on Him, we need to be in the Word, daily, meditating and feeding on the Truths, and the reality of our Savior.
But-- then the similarities stop.
God never claimed that manna would make those who ate it live forever!
But Jesus does claim that those who feed on Him will live forever.
Feeding on Jesus:
Meditating daily, hourly (even more frequently), on the acts of our Savior.
Savoring scripture, memorizing verses.
Surrendering completely to the will of our Father.
Fasting: feeding only on the Word instead of actual food. (Experiencing the true meaning of Bread of Heaven and Living Water.)
Application:
Several years ago, when my oldest one was 18 months old, I took an online Bible study course about weight loss, called The Lord's Table. It was truly amazing. I grew in my faith and shrank in my clothing size. I became a mentor for the course. It was a wonderful time in my life.
Then my body started playing tricks on me, and I was convinced I was pregnant. So I stopped being as diligent about waiting for true hunger, and started snacking, and eating more than I needed.
I wasn't pregnant. And I was also no longer in the Word as much as I had been.
Then we tried for 6 months to get pregnant.
It worked.
But we lost that baby, through a heartbreaking sequence of events that involved making the most difficult a decision that a mother should ever have to make. It ended with a surgery, removing my right fallopian tube and the child of my heart along with it.
And then, before I even had a period after the surgery, I became pregnant again, with my second son, whose name means gift of God, since he truly was a gift from God.
He is now 15 months old, and I am back in the Word, and have been, consistently, since some time in April. And now it is time for me to get back on the discipline of my eating.
Food is for nourishment.
Not for emotional hunger. Not for boredom.
The Word of God is my True Food.
My SOUL is what hungers-- not my physical body.
Today, my God is confirming what I have been hearing over the last couple of days.
It is a day for me to fast.
To choose my God, to make him my priority.
I think that I need to read A Hunger for God, by John Piper again.
Prayer:
Lord,
Help me.
I know that You will. You are calling me to do this. It is my turn to call on You for strength.
It is my turn to CHOOSE YOU over the food.
I have found a poem that I wrote about this very struggle, that I seem to always be wrestling with.
Letting the words of my heart from June 2008 cry out to You again.
Jesus or a donut
I wake up each morning,
open my Bible and
wait for the truth that will
sustain me through another day.
Whether it is a reminder from Solomon
that all under the sun in meaningless
and to put my hope in Christ,
or an urge to find balance
between work, family, and God,
I trust that these pearls or Truth
will take root in my heart and bear fruit.
So why,
after you brought me through the trial,
do I forget to cling to you,
do I forget to run to you?
I take a moment to rest,
and a moment to recover
and all of a sudden my hand is in the cookie jar.
Mindlessly eating,
mindlessly munching . . .
forsaking my Savior
in favor
of a donut.
Oh my heart cries
to realize that once again
I am putting my trust,
my hope,
and my worship
in a pastry.
I want to laugh because
it is so
ridiculous.
I want to cry for the nails
that pierced His side
because of my sin.
Again.
Forgive me, my God.
My actions are speaking much louder
than my words.
My heart,
who pledged allegiance,
and obedience,
has betrayed you.
I want to run to you.
I want forgiveness.
I want wholeness and healing.
Yet fear is blocking my way.
My hand is on the doorknob
and it won’t turn.
Obedience demands that I take the step.
Love demands obedience.
So what do I do?
I stand here,
at a precipice of faith,
and step out-
trusting in You to catch me.
My old life,
my old habits,
they hold nothing for me.
I turn away,
never looking back.
I will not be a pillar of salt.
I turn to you.
This journey is one of fiath,
and there have been
tears,
sorrow,
joy,
anger,
and hope.
You promised to walk with me.
“Yea though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for thou art with me.”
I choose life,
I choose love,
I choose hope. . .
I choose Christ.
Leave the donut for someone else.
---------
Amen.
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