Tag: nourishment

Finding Supernatural Nourishment and Eternal Sustenance

John 6:33
For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.

The Jews were accustomed to the idea that bread could come down from heaven. But the bread that they were familiar with came only to supply their natural needs. The manna that they had received came down from the lower heavens. John was writing to them about a new bread that would come to them from the upper heavens. John was teaching them about a new bread that was not for sustaining natural life, but for the giving of spiritual and eternal life. John was revealing to them the bread of God, Jesus Christ. John was confirming that God was still in the business of provision, but He was extending His giving from beyond the natural to the supernatural. In His excellency, Almighty God was offering the Jews a bread that was infinitely superior to the manna of old.

Give us this day our daily bread. How many times have we prayed this and thought only of our fleshly provision? Have we forgotten what Jesus Himself said? The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

Christ taught that He is the true Bread. He wanted His disciples to understand that He is supernaturally to the spirit what bread is naturally to the flesh. As our bodies are nourished by grain, Jesus nourishes and supports our spiritual life. He is the Bread of God.

Let us remember both the natural and supernatural provision that our precious Lord provides us when we ask for our daily bread. Let us seek both that which strengthens us physically and that which strengthens us by the supernatural power of the One who was crucified for our sins. Let us give thanks for our eternal sustenance.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing both our physical and spiritual nourishment. We exalt Your name for the harvest that You bring into our lives to be the natural provision for our bodies. We praise You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to be the supernatural nourishment and eternal sustenance that we need for our spirit-filled lives. We pray that the Holy Spirit will prepare our hearts so that we will receive a full portion of the nourishment of Jesus Christ for our souls. May everything we do be in remembrance of Our Savior and what He did for us. As You nourish us with Your True Bread, Father, may we provide nourishment to those who are in need of the way, the truth and the life that is in Jesus. We ask all these things in the name of the Lord of all provision, Jesus Christ.

Do You Love Me? Prove it!!

John 21:17
He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep”.

If Jesus had asked any of us the same question that He asked Peter, surely our response would have been similar. “Of course, I love You Jesus,” is a refrain that each of us would speak very easily and we would believe fully in our sincerity. Yet aren’t we all a bit like Peter? Our spoken proclamation of love does not necessarily measure up to our proven love.

Peter, believing his love for Jesus was obvious to Jesus, became frustrated. So Peter challenged Jesus, saying, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus’ response to Peter’s challenge was essentially, “Prove it.”

Jesus challenges each of us as well to feed His sheep. He calls us to provide appropriate nourishment to the young lambs and encouragement to the mature members of the flock. He calls us to go after any that leave the flock until they are found and brought back under the protection of the Good Shepherd.

Jesus calls on each of us who love Him to go out and do the work that He was doing. He tended to all of the needs of the people, all the way to the Cross, because of His love for His Father. Jesus expects us to take up His work, to take up our cross, because of our love for Him.

Let us go out into the world and join Jesus in the work that He would be doing for His Father in heaven if He were still on earth. Let us allow Him to do His work through us. Let us show the world His love as we respond to His question, “Do you love Me?”

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to tend to our every need, especially our need to be freed from the sin that separates us from You. In response to Your loving kindness, mercy and grace, we surrender our lives to You. We ask that You show us the cross that You have prepared for us. We pray, Lord, that You instruct us in the way that we should go as we join Your Son in His work. May Your Holy Spirit guide us and strengthen us for the journey. Father, we pray that You release Your power through us so that others may discover the Way of the Cross. We ask all these things in the name of the one who went to the Cross and shed His blood for us, Jesus Christ.

The Natural and Supernatural Provision of God

John 6:33
For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.

The Jews were accustomed to the idea that bread could come down from heaven. But the bread that they were familiar with came only to supply their natural needs. The manna that they had received came down from the lower heavens. John was writing to them about a new bread that would come to them from the upper heavens. John was teaching them about a new bread that was not for sustaining natural life, but for the giving of spiritual and eternal life. John was revealing to them the bread of God, Jesus Christ. John was confirming that God was still in the business of provision, but He was extending His giving from beyond the natural to the supernatural. In His excellency, Almighty God was offering the Jews a bread that was infinitely superior to the manna of old.

Give us this day our daily bread. How many times have we prayed this and thought only of our fleshly provision? Have we forgotten what Jesus Himself said? The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

Christ taught that He is the true Bread. He wanted His disciples to understand that He is supernaturally to the spirit what bread is naturally to the flesh. As our bodies are nourished by grain, Jesus nourishes and supports our spiritual life. He is the Bread of God.

Let us remember both the natural and supernatural provision that our precious Lord provides us when we ask for our daily bread. Let us seek both that which strengthens us physically and that which strengthens us by the supernatural power of the One who was crucified for our sins. Let us give thanks for our eternal sustenance.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing both our physical and spiritual nourishment. We exalt Your name for the harvest that You bring into our lives to be the natural provision for our bodies. We praise You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to be the supernatural nourishment and eternal sustenance that we need for our spirit-filled lives. We pray that the Holy Spirit will prepare our hearts so that we will receive a full portion of the nourishment of Jesus Christ for our souls. May everything we do be in remembrance of Our Savior and what He did for us. As You nourish us with Your True Bread, Father, may we provide nourishment to those who are in need of the way, the truth and the life that is in Jesus. We ask all these things in the name of the Lord of all provision, Jesus Christ.