The Bread of Life

"You are my God; Early will I seek You..." (Psalm 63:1)

There's something about getting up early, at the crack of dawn, watching the sun come up. The house is quiet. The coffee is brewing. The hope and anticipation of a new day stirs the senses. Something causes me to lean forward and listen in the stillness. Draws me closer. Beckons me. Draws me in.

Closer to God. 

Having made their mass exodus out of Egypt, the nation of Israel wandered through the desert, in a dry and thirsty land. From Heaven, God provided their daily food—small, round, wafers of bread—as sweet as honey—as white as snow. 

They called it Manna.

It was there every morning at first light. Theirs for the taking. Free of cost. All they had to do was pick it up and eat it.

The only caveat—to pick it up early while it was still cool out. 

As the sun grew hot, the Manna began to melt and rot. It could not be gathered up in baskets and stored up for a week. They had to gather and eat the fresh Manna early, daily, in the first light of morning.

The Word of God—manna from Heaven for the follower of Christ—is like that. 

The Word is never so sweet as it is when gathered and tasted early, in the light of the dawn.When the mind is fresh, thoughts uncluttered from the cares and worries that will come with the heat of day, one can best ingest and meditate on the timeless truths of God's Word—manna from Heaven.

John; the Apostle of Love, recorded these breathtaking words from Jesus:

"I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." (John 6:35)

What Jesus was saying to an angry mob of religious people, furious that He would take away their precious written code of Law given them by Moses, He is also saying to us today: 

Only He can quench your thirsty spirit. Only He can fill your hungry soul.

The intellectual act of reading the Bible in of itself can never satisfy your hunger, thirst and longing—if you miss life-giving, intimate, spiritual, communion with Jesus in the process. Reading the word of God will be of no benefit to you, unless your hearts' desire is to meet with the God of the Word. Religion is dead without an intimate, personal Relationship with Jesus Christ.

Marriage—the Bride and the Groom—is a picture of Christ and His Church.

Imagine, if, you read a book about your spouse once a day, but never have any actual conversation, laughter, experiences, joy, or intimacy with  them?

What kind of a marriage would that be?

A cold, dull, lifeless one, for sure.

So what makes us think that Jesus is satisfied with that kind of dull, lifeless marriage relationship with us?

He's not. 

Are you?

Just as physical, spiritual, and relational intimacy between a husband and wife is a two-way street—you only get out of it what you put into it—so too, is our relationship with Christ.  

God says, "Draw near to Me—and (then) I will draw near to you."  (James 4:8)

Jesus wants a relationship with us where we freely and willingly choose to draw near to Him—to seek Him out in the first cool light of the morning—to cry out to Him when we feel alone and in need of His touch. 

He wants us to choose spending time with Him over the empty pursuits of life in this fallen world. And yes for me, that means to choose to spend time with Him more than my love for fly fishing. 

For some, it means to choose spending time with Him over watching football. For others, that means choosing Him over addictions to food, over entertainment, over shopping, over cars, over clothes, over money, over position in life, over career, over family, over children—even over spouse—if those things or people come between us and Him.

David wrote in Psalm 63, "You are my God—and I will seek You early." He gave personal priority and preeminence to his God—over everything, and over everyone else.

Is Jesus truly the Lord over your entire life? 

Do you, do I, show Him our daily devotion by giving Him the priority and preeminence over everything, and over everyone?

A friend of mine used to say about Christ's Lordship in our hearts: 

"He's either Lord of all, or not at all." 

This morning, I have to stare into the mirror of that reality and ask myself some tough, soul-searching questions about the state of my relationship with Christ.

Perhaps it's a good time for you to do the same.

As Jesus, the God of Love, says to me this morning, and everyday, so too, does He say to you:

"I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."

And once again, something causes me to lean forward and listen in the stillness. Draws me closer. Beckons me. 
     —Draws me in...

—God is Love, and Love Never Fails.