Spending Time with God

Week 49/Monday

The Bread of Life Scripture: John 6:35 (NKJV) “And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” Although America flourishes with food and is one of the wealthiest countries, there is an alert that needs be raised concerning our nation. The pantries of many of our homes are loaded with food for our bellies, but many of our souls are empty. There is not a shortage of food and water in the physical sense, but the Word of God which is more powerful than physical food is lacking in many of our lives. It seems that no one looks to the Word of God for guidance anymore. Many preachers that mount pulpits across this country each Sunday have neglected their convictions to populate the pews. The pulpit is not a place for a popularity contest, but the pulpit serves the purpose of feeding famished souls with the Bread of Life. Our nation is spiritually bankrupt and she is on the prowl for satisfaction. A yearning for satisfaction can be expressed by songs like the Rolling Stones “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Even the lyrics of U2 “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” explain our world’s desire in a nutshell. Carolina Liar’s single “Show Me What I’m Looking For” also expresses the yearning for mankind desire to be satisfied. Our nation is hungry for satisfaction.
The people in John 6:35 followed Christ for the nourishment of their body, but the Lord had come to nourish their souls. Many people believe that the Lord’s main priority is to take care of them. He is supposed to give us a job, house, car, and etc. In a sense, we believe He is supposed to be our errand boy. We feel that if the Lord fails to meet our fleshly desires, then He has forsaken us. But when we have grown up in our faith, we will understand that Christ did not come just to make us happy. The Lord came to make us whole. He came to give us what we need and not everything we want. ———Digest This——— When bread is fresh out of the oven the aroma, which takes the nose on a journey is unexplainable. Our taste buds are placed under a spell. Although the smell and the beauty of the bread may cause our mouths to water, the bread will not benefit us until we partake of it. The miracle of Christ can move us in awe and the infallible Word of God can be presented to us through great oratorical skills that stir up our emotions. Nevertheless, the Word of God will not benefit us until we decide to partake of it.

Week 49/Tuesday STARTING OVER Scripture: Joshua 3:1-5 (NASB) “Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and he and all the sons of Israel set out from Shittim and came to the Jordan, and they lodged there before they crossed. the end of three days the officers went through the midst of the camp; and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. “However, there shall be between you and it a distance of about 2,000 cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.” Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” It is a blessing to be able to receive a fresh start from the Lord, especially when we consider how we allowed our surroundings to influence us to act outside of our character in the past. The Israelites were God’s chosen people, but they allowed the time they spent as slaves in Egypt to change their demeanor. Crossing over the Jordan marked a major turning point in Israel’s journey. The Jordan was the place they would receive the chance to start over again. The old generation and leadership had died off, and the Lord was now bringing forth a new generation as well as new leadership. The time spent in the wilderness was about to end and their feet would begin to touch the land that had been promised. Tye Tribbett has a hit single entitled “Fresh.” In this song he says, “I’m tired of the same old- same old. I need a brand new start with a brand new heart, forgetting those things behind me. I'm ready for the new thing Lord.” The Jordan is a place that gives us a fresh start. It is the place where we must depend wholeheartedly on the Lord in order to cross. Before we can see how the Lord will bring us across this river, where the banks are overflowed, we must sanctify ourselves. We must rid ourselves of some ways we picked up while we were in Egypt. —Digest This— The Jordan River is the place where all self efforts must be buried. Jordan is also the place where we must remove any way of living that offends the Spirit of God, or we will disqualify ourselves for the journey. Our old way living must be crucified with Christ that our bodies of sin will be done away with (Rom. 6:6-7). Before they reached the Jordan, the Israelites were always reflecting on the life they lived while in Egypt. Crossing Jordan removed the taste of Egypt from their taste buds. The blood of Christ is where we received our fresh start, because it has transformed our way of thinking as well as changed our purpose for living.