Jesus: The Great “I AM”
"I am the living bread which came down from heaven." John 6:51
We know it's important to eat right and keep our bodies in reasonable shape. As Christians our bodies are, after all, temples of the Holy Spirit. However, staying fit is easier said than done. What about your spiritual diet? Apathetic church attendance statistics, the small number of people who attend the average Sunday Bible class, the absence of family devotions, are clear indications that faith fitness isn't at the top of many a Christian's list of priorities. In fact, there isn't one of us who doesn't fail to stick faithfully to his gospel diet.
Jesus declared: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever." With those words our beautiful Savior invites us to go on a diet that cannot fail. The Savior invites us to eat and drink the truth of His death for all sinners. He bids us to digest His amazing Easter victory over death. He calls us to taste of all His wonderful promises.
Do we need to make some kind of resolution to stay on a Jesus-diet? Not if those resolutions are based on our own will-power, for then we're sure to fail. What we need is Spirit worked repentance. Repentance, first of all, involves taking an honest look at ourselves. Are we giving Jesus and His Word short shrift? Next, we turn in certain confidence to our Lord, who forgives all of our sins, including the sin of not making the preaching, teaching, and reading of God's Word our greatest concern. Such repentance will then lead to a greater craving for the Bread of Life! Through such repentance God will give us the wonderful blessings expressed by the hymn writer:
Go, my children, fed and nourished, Closer to Me;
Grow in love and love by serving, Joyful and free.
Here My Spirit's power filled you; Here His tender comfort stilled you.
Go, My children, fed and nourished, Joyful and free.
Worship Supplement 800