God is Food
By Jen Wollner
“I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
John 6:35 (NIV)
By Jen Wollner
“I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
John 6:35 (NIV)
Back when my older son was in
preschool, he learned a mealtime prayer that went like this: “God is good. God
is great. And we thank Him for our food. Amen.” Often, he would say it before
dinner and my younger son, who was two at the time and loved to copy his older
brother, wanted to say it as well. The problem was that he was still developing
his verbal skills, so this is his version: “God is food. Thank you food. Amen.”
My husband and I would chuckle a little when he would say, “God is food,” but as I thought more about it, I realized how profound that statement really was. Jesus calls Himself the bread of life. He says that God sent Him as “bread from heaven” and that anyone who “eats” of Him will have eternal life. He goes on to explain that if we come to Him in faith and believe that He is the Son of God, who died for our sins, we will receive the gift of eternity in Heaven with Him.
But, there is even more to the idea of God being “food” for us. We are bombarded daily by things that drain us—job commitments, family needs, household duties, social obligations, volunteer work—you name it! While many of these tasks are good things, they still wear us down and exhaust us by the end of the day. What we need is something to fill us up again. Something to refresh us. Something to restore our strength or patience or perseverance. Something to quench the hunger and thirst of our bodies, souls and minds. That is just what the Lord does for us! He meets our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs…and He meets them abundantly. Our part is to “eat” and “drink” of Him. We do this by attending church services or Bible studies. We do it by spending time alone with Him, studying His Word. And, we do it by having a continuous dialog with Him through prayer— focusing on His attributes, affirming our trust in Him, thanking Him for His past faithfulness, telling Him our needs and concerns, and then listening to His reassuring voice. A close, intimate relationship is what Jesus desires to have with us so that He can not just sustain us, but fill our cups to overflowing!
God is more than good. And, He’s more than great. He is food…for life.
GOING DEEPER:
1. What specific situations or responsibilities in your life are draining you today?
2. What do you need most from Jesus right now to make it through your day? Ask Him for these things.
FURTHER READING:
John 6:25-59; John 4:1-26
Jen and her husband are busily parenting three elementary-aged children. She serves on the leadership team for Mission: Hope, Oakwood’s orphan care ministry.
My husband and I would chuckle a little when he would say, “God is food,” but as I thought more about it, I realized how profound that statement really was. Jesus calls Himself the bread of life. He says that God sent Him as “bread from heaven” and that anyone who “eats” of Him will have eternal life. He goes on to explain that if we come to Him in faith and believe that He is the Son of God, who died for our sins, we will receive the gift of eternity in Heaven with Him.
But, there is even more to the idea of God being “food” for us. We are bombarded daily by things that drain us—job commitments, family needs, household duties, social obligations, volunteer work—you name it! While many of these tasks are good things, they still wear us down and exhaust us by the end of the day. What we need is something to fill us up again. Something to refresh us. Something to restore our strength or patience or perseverance. Something to quench the hunger and thirst of our bodies, souls and minds. That is just what the Lord does for us! He meets our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs…and He meets them abundantly. Our part is to “eat” and “drink” of Him. We do this by attending church services or Bible studies. We do it by spending time alone with Him, studying His Word. And, we do it by having a continuous dialog with Him through prayer— focusing on His attributes, affirming our trust in Him, thanking Him for His past faithfulness, telling Him our needs and concerns, and then listening to His reassuring voice. A close, intimate relationship is what Jesus desires to have with us so that He can not just sustain us, but fill our cups to overflowing!
God is more than good. And, He’s more than great. He is food…for life.
GOING DEEPER:
1. What specific situations or responsibilities in your life are draining you today?
2. What do you need most from Jesus right now to make it through your day? Ask Him for these things.
FURTHER READING:
John 6:25-59; John 4:1-26
Jen and her husband are busily parenting three elementary-aged children. She serves on the leadership team for Mission: Hope, Oakwood’s orphan care ministry.
