Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (NIV)
In the classic novel Dracula, the insane man Renfield escapes from his asylum to the home of the infamous vampire. His caretaker, Dr. Seward, overhears Renfield begging Dracula for certain gifts and remarks, “He thinks of the loaves and fishes even when he believes he is in a real Presence.” How very much like this insane character we all are!
God has given us His Son, Who in turn has given us the Holy Spirit, Who dwells within us. We live in the real Presence of God, and that Presence lives within us, yet we concern ourselves too often only with the food that spoils. In other words, we focus far too much on the matter at hand rather than taking the long view of our lives. Yes, we need our cars to run and we need jobs to pay our bills and we need good health to accomplish our many tasks. It is not wrong to pray over such things, but if this is where our life with God stops, then ours is a shallow relationship indeed.
Jesus is the bread of life. We are called to an eternal and personal relationship with the God of the universe. For just a moment, put aside the immediate cares pressing in on your thoughts. Almighty God is your Father! What does your heart cry out to say to Him? What is He calling you toward? He will provide loaves and fishes, but our relationship with Him should be about so much more.
Gracious Lord, You provide all my needs according to Your riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Help me to move beyond worrying only about my daily needs and see life as You have intended it, an eternal life with You. In the name of my Lord, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
Copyright © 2010 by Steven R. Perkins
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