Got Bread?

NAU John 6:15 So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.

Observation: I've always read the miracle of feeding the five thousand and thought to myself, no big gig. I don't know why. It just doesn't seem as miraculous as raising the dead or giving sight to the blind. But the reality is that receiving sustenance from God is always a miracle. Whether it be bread or the bread of life.

How many in this world are suffering from physical and spiritual famine. The prophet Amos described a great spiritual famine:

Amos 8:11-13 11 "Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the LORD. 12 "People will stagger from sea to sea And from the north even to the east; They will go to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, But they will not find it. 13 "In that day the beautiful virgins And the young men will faint from thirst.

Application: I think we are fast approaching Amos's description. In our own church people are becoming less and less familiar with the word of God. Rather than studying out issues for ourselves and going to the word of God for guidance we are content to share opinions and feelings. We would rather believe the most articulate and most inspiring preacher than discover for ourselves what God's will would be on a particular issue.

As preachers, we seek the praise of the people rather than the praise of God. We are hungry for God's presence and we don't realize it. We spend our days talking about the bread, remembering the bread, seeking bread that doesn't satisfy, and wondering why we always feel restless, and why our souls always feel hungry.

It is not only the praise of men that is false bread. But our own personal accomplishments. We can become proud of how well our devotional life is going only to find our pride is like eating cotton candy. It tastes good for a moment, but has a bad after taste. So we eat more. And when we've engorged ourselves our stomach feels sick, and we have a jittery sugar high that makes us want to crawl into a hole and die.

This is not the bread God has for us. In this simple descriptive verse of Christ, we find the answer. The people wanted to crown him king. False bread was beckoning him. But what did he do? He withdrew to the mountain by Himself alone. He went away to be with his Father. He sought the sustenance of solitude.

I know God is calling me to this today. And especially after the times I have to preach or lead worship. Nothing can satisfy my soul like simply being in his presence and feasting upon his fellowship. He revives my like no other. His smile of approval is one which looks deep in my soul and appreciates me as His precious child and not as a impressive preacher.

Preaching sermons and multiplying lunches is not the primary purpose of what we were created for. We were created, first and foremost for intimate fellowship with our Father. When we loose this, it is like trying live off of cotton candy. We end up feeling sick and cranky.

Prayer: Jesus thank You for calling me to feast off of the bread of life today. Thank You for reminding me of the importance of seeking Your face and not the praise of men. Thank You for reassuring me that You love me and want to be with me. Lord, humble me. Teach me to be content with responsibility because You have given it to me and not because people tell me well done. Mens' praise is empty. No matter how many compliments, I still feel hungry. All that satisfies my soul is Your love. Knowing you're crazy about me because of who I am and not what I do; knowing you will not stop loving me, ever! Thank You Jesus!