Today’s Bible readings are 1 Samuel 8:1-9:27, John 6:22-42, Psalm 106:32-48, & Proverbs 14:34-35
John 6:35
35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes
to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
This particular day the people who were following Jesus
asked Him to prove to them that He was the one they should believe in. They
said that their ancestors were given the miracle of bread from heaven to prove
to them that Moses was going to be the one to guide them & provide for
them. Jesus reminded them that it was not Moses but God who sent them bread.
The people of Moses’ day experienced their natural needs
being met. But now, standing before the people this day, is the TRUE BREAD OF
HEAVEN. Unlike the bread that they ate in the wilderness, this bread would
take away a different hunger. The bread that fell from heaven in the wilderness
took care of only the natural hunger. This New Bread would take away &
satisfy their spiritual hunger.
The people were so blinded by the natural hunger that they
had that they were missing the bigger point; Jesus wanted to meet their
spiritual needs. He wants to satisfy the longing they had on the inside.
Jesus wants to satisfy your spiritual needs also.
1. The need for peace.
2. The need for love.
3. The need for hope.
4. The need for belonging.
5. The need for connection with our Creator.
6. The need for forgiveness.
7. The need for cleansing.
8. The need for healing.
9. The need for strength.
10. The need for transformation.
The bread that they ate in the wilderness could never do
anything to meet these needs. That’s why God sent the Son. It doesn’t matter
how much food you feed somebody. If you don’t fill the hunger inside their soul,
they will still be empty & weak.
We still make this error today. We come to God with of
prayer list. It consists mostly of STUFF we want from God. Don’t make me say
something that I am not saying. GOD
WANTS TO MEET OUR PHYSICAL NEEDS! But generally speaking, our prayer lists
are usually over crowded with material stuff. We think that more stuff is going
to fill the emptiness inside BUT IT
NEVER WILL. Stuff can never make up for what a person is lacking in
character. Stuff can never produce character in us.
BUT…
1. CHRIST CAN PRODUCE CHRIST-LIKE CHARACTER IN EACH OF US.
2. CHRIST CAN PRODUCE CHRIST-LIKE VIRTUES IN US.
What would happen if we quit treating Jesus like our “Sugar
Daddy” & started to treat Him like our Lord? What if we stopped seeking
material things & started to pursue true treasure? What if we realized that
the only change that matters is a change of the heart? What if we actually
started to do what the bible suggests?
1 Timothy 6:6-11
6 Yet true godliness with
contentment is itself great wealth. 7 After all, we brought nothing with us when we came
into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.
8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.
9 But people who
long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many
foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of
evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and
pierced themselves with many sorrows.
11 But you, Timothy, are a man of God;
so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life,
along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
Jesus, teach us to be content. Help us to desire what really
matter. Remind us that YOU are all that we need. You are more precious
than silver & more costly than gold. Nothing we desire compares with YOU!!!
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