Day 221: Bread

John 6:25-59; 1 Chronicles 24; Zechariah 10

What I first notice about the exchange between Jesus and the people is that they are so caught up in the the literal. "Bread? We want some! Eat you? That's weird. Heaven? We know your parents." They simply could not grasp what Jesus was saying because they were so caught up in the earthly concepts. What they didn't have was an understanding of what the Father, through the scriptures had said that pointed to Jesus. Was Jesus literally bread that they were to eat? No, but bread was a huge part of their diet and Jesus is telling them that if they fill themselves with him, trusting in him, leaning on him, cultivating that relationship, they will never feel empty again. Jesus promises that to believe in him leads to eternal life. That is what is most important and sometimes we forget. We are only on this earth for a few decades, but we will spend eternity somewhere. Believing in Jesus ensures that we will spend forever with him, being filled completely, never hungry or thirsty again for anything.

In Zechariah, God reminds the people that he is the one who sends rains and so when we need life-giving sustenance, help, or blessing, we are to pray to him. He says that some people rely on idols and witchcraft, they attempt to find hope in fortune tellers, but those who do always come up empty and lost. To believe in those things is to reject our Maker, The Lord, and that makes him angry. By depending on idols we are ruining who our Creator made us to be, and that infuriates him. But God will punish the leaders who encourage or allow such pagan worship to occur. And when God's people fight, the scripture says that they will trample their enemies because He is with them. That gives me such hope and strength, to know that when I face an enemy, God is on my side. I'm not talking about human enemies necessarily; my enemies are things like apathy, neglect, ignorance, and selfishness. Those attitudes cause far more problems than any one person can. And so, God promises to strengthen me through himself. I can follow him and be victorious.