Bread From Heaven

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

SINCE THE GARDEN OF EDEN, we’ve had issues with food. Eve and that fruit. Esau and that stew. The Israelites and that manna.

Our appetites are really something. Our bellies, our desires, our cravings. God made us to enjoy good things with all five of our senses. It’s just that we sometimes eat the whole cake or drink the whole bottle. We take our appetites and make them god, instead of taking our appetites to God Himself.

God made us with amazingly beautiful appetites. In the Garden, there was nourishment and sustenance of every kind. Trees were delightful to the eye, and every tree’s fruit was up for grabs, except one. But our hearts grabbed for it anyway, and we’ve been grabbing ever since.

Extensive studies have been done on our relationship with food and God. My pastor regularly tells us that indulging in our desires always leads back to the same question: “Will God provide?” Sometimes we don’t believe He will, so we grab for our desires ourselves. We think He’s holding back goodness, so we go behind His back to get it.

Which is why Jesus calling Himself the Bread of Life is a huge claim. He is showcasing a new narrative, telling us that He is what we actually want. Yes, we want full bellies and full hearts—bread that satisfies every area of our life. But Jesus tells us that He alone is the Bread who fills our hungry souls.

I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

John 6:35, NIV

Whoever comes and whoever believes. Grace so often looks as simple as coming and believing. As asking and receiving. As humility and hope.

We have many opportunities, each hour of our lives, to come and believe. When faced with envy, when feeling left out, when aching for a season to change, we can stop and come to the One who satisfies. We can ask Jesus, ever so quietly, ever so quickly, to help us come and believe in Him. Grace is waiting for us when we ask Jesus to give us life in our envy, to satisfy our hunger, to create a new season, and to put our faith in Him as the Bread of Life.

GRACE REFLECTION: Pray with me, “Jesus, help me to come to You and believe that You are the Bread of Life. You came to fill me with goodness, hope, love, forgiveness, and joy. Today, I want to come and believe and be satisfied. Amen.”