The Bread Of Life

During all the years when John and I farmed, I made bread. When I first started making bread, I stuck to the recipe, but as time went on, my confidence grew in my own ability to know the amounts of the different ingredients needed to make good bread. Kneading is very important to have the right texture to the bread, which governs how appealing it is to our appetite.

Bread is mentioned often in Scripture, particularly at the temptation of our Lord by the devil. The 40 days of Lent, which begins today, are based on His 40 days of fasting in the wilderness.

Matthew 4:3-4 – The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (NIV)

Satan knew that Jesus was hungry due to fasting. He was talking of physical food.

Although it is true that bread does not have enough nourishment on its own to support the human body, Jesus answered that spiritual bread is more important because it is eternal. Christ knows that we need nourishment for our spiritual walk and talk with God. The believer must feed on the truths of Scripture. The Word of God is the believer's food for godly speech and living. A relevant question is, are we feeding directly on the written Word of God for our spiritual health, or are we getting all our spiritual nourishment from men and women in our pulpits?

John 6:35,40 – Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." (NIV)

Believers need to read holy Scripture to learn the overall plan of God for their lives. We need to commune in prayer with Jesus daily. We need to encourage fellow believers along the way. Our Bibles must be open books in our homes. Even if we have walked the Christian walk for many years, we cannot become complacent and think, "I have arrived."

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help us to desire spiritual bread as found in Your written Word. Keep our eyes and ears open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Thank You for Jesus. Help us to share the gospel with family, friends, and neighbours. Amen.