Submitted
by Lara Cook
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes
to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” John
6:35
Jesus had seven “I Am” statements. In the next week, we will look at all seven
statements, what they mean and how they can be applied to our lives.
We are all searching for something to fill the space in
our lives that only God is meant to fill.
And what is worse? Some of us
know it. At least I do. I know that I am doing some things to trying
to make myself feel better, when I know
better, but I don’t stop because I don’t feel better! I keep going,
telling myself that all these things will make me feel so wonderful. And they do - momentarily. Others are doing the same thing, maybe with
different means, but all to the same end.
Jesus says in the passage above that He is everything
we need – ever. If we will only go to
Him to seek our satisfaction, we will never hunger and thirst, therefore, we
won’t be wasting our lives looking for the golden ticket. This is my summer bucket list – totally. One thing only. I want to redirect my life so that I will
find the satisfaction my soul longs for in Him, the only one who can truly
satisfy the cry of my heart. This is the
hunger and thirst the verse speaks of, not physical hunger and thirst. This hunger and thirst refers to a hunger and
thirst for righteousness. Matthew 5:6 says Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. It is a desperate longing, a painful twisting
of the gut and a parched, dry life, cracked and ready to be saturated with only
what Jesus can give.
Come and Believe
There are two key words in the verse, come and believe. Jesus promises to give us everlasting
satisfaction but we must do our part. We
must choose Him over the world and all that glitters. Sadly, many times we only come to this place
after we have destroyed our own lives and the lives of those we love. Only then do we realize that Jesus is the
only way and we can have faith in Him to do what He says He will do.
All this stuff here on earth that we collect will fade
away someday. It is worthless in the face
of death, and holds no eternal value. It
does not quench the thirst or stop the hunger pangs. It only makes us want more and takes our
focus off the true things that are important in life. It, whatever your it is, leaves us feeling emptier than ever before. Jesus is the only thing that satisfies. He alone fulfills our hunger and thirst – our
quest for righteousness. He is the bread
of Life, the only sustenance that satisfies the hungry cries of our soul.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21
