John 6:48-50 I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die”.
This scripture spoken by Jesus reveals to you how the whole Bible connects together to point to One Person – Jesus Christ, God, Son, Savior!
Do you recall the time when God led Israel out of Egypt under the leadership of Moses? It was not too long in the wilderness when Israel’s soul became discouraged and they began to complain against God saying:
“Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water and our soul loathes this worthless bread”.
This is an unfortunate picture that illustrates some Christians today. God had been so good to Israel, delivering them from a life of slavery in Egypt, protecting them from Pharoah’s army and parted the Red Sea for them. Yet they did not trust Him to provide for them in the wilderness.
What life-giving bread was Israel calling worthless? It was the manna that God rained down from heaven every morning. Instead of being grateful for it, they called it “worthless bread”.
Jesus reveals to us in today’s scripture that this bread from Heaven is a picture that pointed to the real Bread of Life – Himself. Can you see how important it is that we do not replicate the same mistake and lack of gratitude as Israel? We must never look to Jesus and the manna He provides us, through His Word, as being “worthless bread”. We can find ourselves unintentionally doing this whenever we undervalue His Word whether in private or through the preaching of the Word on Sunday.
Whenever our daily reading of God’s Word becomes the fulfillment of a checklist or something that we have to do today, that’s when it loses its “life” and no longer feeds us. But every day as you open your Bible to let Jesus “feed you’ – that’s when it's no longer a routine and it becomes life – Jesus, the true Bread of Life feeds you.
It’s similar with Sunday church. Don't allow it to become just another Sunday or worse, begin to skip it because it’s just too inconvenient for your schedule . Give value to Jesus' church – see it as non-negotiable – you have come to drink Living Water and feed upon the Bread of Life. See church as your double-portion that you are receiving from the Lord!
That’s what God gave to Israel every weekend in the wilderness – it was a double portion of manna. That’s a picture for you and I today. Receive God’s daily word and on the weekend you receive that double-portion of the Word at church!
Jesus is your Bread of Life. Feed upon Him. Feed upon His love for you through His broken body which provides life and health for your body. Feed upon His love for you through His blood that washes away sin, guilt, condemnation and imparts His life into you. As you simply feed upon Jesus' good news and receive from Him, you will never be empty and dissatisfied in life.