Nourished!

Nourished!

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

John 6:35 KJV

Jesus had just fed 5,000 men, beside women and children, with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes. The men who ate recognised his power and sought to make him king. I am sure they reckoned that with Jesus as king, they were sure of daily supply of food. As much as God is the provider of that which nourishes the physical body, he is also equally interested in providing that which nourishes the spiritual body. This was the basis of his response to the people at the time. 

The natural man is caught up in that which satisfies its nature. It is the way of man to seek to meet his needs: food, clothing and shelter, as well as other basic needs of life. He will do anything to feed that nature, as we see all around us today. The spiritual man is also focused on that which the spiritual man needs, and that is the nourishment only the Word of God can supply. It is therefore important to ask: which nature am I feeding? Which nature am I going out of my way to satisfy? 

The crowd went looking for Jesus; anyone who saw their zeal would be tempted to think they were really seeking him for a noble cause. Do not be deceived by outer zeal; be sure that your heart is seeking God for the right reasons. Jesus made it clear that he knew the reason why they were seeking him, and just as the men of those days could not deceive God, so also can the men of these days also not deceive God. He sees, knows and understands all. Our motives and intentions are well known to him. Whether we come for good or for food, we can't fool God. 

Jesus introduced them to the bread that does not need topping up. As Jesus said, once you eat of it, you will never go hungry. Of course, the men asked again for this bread, so they would not have to go hungry again. Until I truly know Jesus for who he is, I will struggle to understand my place in his plan. His kind of bread is not the type put together by human hands, requiring manual labour and stress but one that only demands faith. It is not the kind of bread that you need to always buy or bake with money, but one that costs you nothing, even if it cost God his son. He is bread that sustains life, because He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. 

Taking on this bread and eating it is the secret to being fed and nourished and never going hungry or thirsty again. My role is to take it up. It won't happen by accident, as God does not go against the exercise of my freewill. He will provide grace in abundance and constantly speak, offering help and support, but the decision is mine. That is the bit about coming to and believing on him. I must get out of my comfort zone and seek him out. I must come to him on his terms, not mine. It can't be all lip confession alone; my heart must be fully committed to him. It can't be all about what I can put in my mouth, but about who I have come to know, and who has all that I need for both life and Godliness. 

Just as Jesus spoke then, so does he speak now. The message has always been the same: I am all you need. I have all you need. I have introduced myself to you and made clear what you stand to gain in and from me. Now you have all the information you require to take a decision. Eternity is what is at stake here, not just physical nourishment. Hunger and thirst are human attributes but they also have spiritual implications. God is the answer to both, and he invites me to come to him for all that I need. That decision is to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour. It is not enough to just take of what he gives, but it is very important to also take him for who he is. That is the complete package, and the seal of eternal life with God. God's time of favour is here.