Completely Satisfied

“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’” —John 6:35.

I live within spitting distance of two bakeries. I try to stay away, but I really like bread, especially when it comes in the form of a honey-dipped doughnut.

Bread always satisfies—temporarily.

Water is convenient. Here in Canada it is even more easily accessible than it was in Venezuela where drinkable water depended on the arrival of the water truck. Here, in this country, the tap is never far away.

Water always satisfies—temporarily.

When I look at Jesus’ statement in John 6 I know that spiritual satisfaction is not permanent either. Jesus is the bread and water of life. He always satisfies. But there is a condition tucked away in the Lord’s statement.

Just as I have to keep going back for more doughnuts and keep turning the tap on to get water to meet my physical cravings, so I have to keep going back to Jesus to satisfy my spiritual hunger and thirst. Jesus tells us that we have to “come” and we have to “believe.” Both of these are continuing and progressive.

Lack of faith will suck us dry of the  freedom the Spirit has to flow through us, to renew and to revive. One “shot” of God at the moment of conversion is not enough, nor is a weekly inoculation on Sunday morning. We have to keep returning to His Word every day to fill up on the resources we need to prevent spiritual starvation. Just as our need for food and water doesn't stop when we are born, so does our need for spiritual food and water.

The thought just crossed my mind that if I took in the spiritual bread and water that Jesus offers me as often as I take in the physical bread and water that I consume every day, I’d probably be as “fat and sassy” spiritually as I am physically.

I carefully prepare my physical meals three times a day with snacks in between. Do I do the same for the spiritual nourishment I need each day? Many people carry around water bottles as though they were lifelines. Do we take in spiritual refreshment as frequently in an effort to prevent spiritual dehydration?

Jesus does completely satisfy—if we’ll let Him.

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