“Do not work for food that spoils, but for the food that endures to eternal life which the Son of Man will give to You. For on Him, God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” (John 6:27 NIV)
Every day God gives us good bread.
It started to dawn on me yesterday, when I first read this passage: how we personally meet Jesus and our motives start to change. For me, at least, I used to work hard for the approval of others. Acceptance and love were the currency I craved. But the more I’ve gotten to know Jesus, the more I’ve realized that He has something far better to sustain me, something more substantial than morsels of accolade and crumbs of recognition.
Jesus offers us a full meal in the Word.
Fresh manna, each and every day.
See, I have this theory about manna. I believe it to be the world’s first and best superfood. Nutritionally superior AND surprisingly tasty. Step aside kale, no one likes you anyway. Manna is the way to go. Manna sustained Israelites in the desert for a full forty years. And because God is God, I like to take this superfood a step further and wonder if it wasn’t bioengineered to meet the day’s physical needs. Extra protein for hours marked by long walks in the wilderness, extra lean for full seasons spent in tents.
Why do I wonder about a a nutritionally retro-fitted food for an ancient people group? Personal experience, mostly. I can look back at the last fifteen years of my own journey and see how God has master-chef prepared just the right word every day: consistently and extravagantly. If He has taken such care to feed my soul, it seems that He would tend to the consecrated bellies of His chosen people in the same manner, with utmost attention to detail.
So why is the church spiritually malnourished?
The truth is, the majority of Christians have abandoned the Bible. Of course, they won’t confess that, they can quote a few scriptures and tell you about the most recent online sermon they’ve heard. But they’ve abandoned the individual reaping that happens when we open God’s word for ourselves. Personal bible literacy is at an all time low. This uncomfortable truth further solidifies when we see whole denominations exchanging the truth of God for a lie and entire congregations willingly aligning with the deception.
When we commit to a personal bible study; a daily dive into the Word of God, we find manna that has been made for us. We feast on food that has been specifically designed to meet today’s spiritual needs.
“This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person in your tent.’ The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it, by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone gathered just as much as they needed.” (Exodus 16:16-8 NIV)
When we gather our own manna, we get just what we need. And as we do, we gain the nutrients our soul is starving for. As our soul regains health, our cravings change. The appetite for man’s approval weakens and our hunger for the things of God strengthens, just as Jesus said it would. Our soul is fortified when we feast on the bread of heaven.
“This the bread that comes down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” (John 5:58 NIV)
We remember that Jesus is the Word and the Word is Jesus. The Word is what sustains us forever.
“Jesus answered: ‘Man cannot live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4 NIV)
Lord, we recognize Your desire to fill us with good things, to sustain us by the strength of Your word. Forgive us for looking to lesser sustenance. We see now that You have precisely what our souls require. May we be diligent in Your Word each and every day. Amen.