SWB: Manna for the desert

Image from Spiegel Online International.

What is your manna?
Manna was the food that God provided the Israelites in their time of wandering in the wilderness. In this account in the gospel
of John, Jesus makes reference to this "manna" or bread that God provided for his people. Jesus draws the connection for his listeners of how God provided then and how God was going to provide for them in Christ himself. The hunger and thirst that Jesus was speaking of, were not simply the manifestation of physical hunger; but the deep spiritual need we all have for God.

Blasé Pascal, a French mathematician and philosopher said,
"There is a God shaped vacuume in the heart of every man(person)which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the creator, made known through Jesus."

When I think of the things that I'm most grateful for in life, they most often are NOT in the material category. For instance, I may enjoy reading a good book, but the knowledge I obtain is dearer to me than the tangible item it came from. In their purist form, the things I'm most thankful for are not really things at all. I may treasure a song, a painting or a book; but what joy is in it if there is no one to share them with? Ultimately, the treasure I hold most dear are relationships with people!

How much more then, do I treasure the spiritual manna, which is Jesus the Christ? There are no words to express how thankful I am for that relationship. Without Christ, there would be no manna or treasure - only a hole that could never be filled, even if all the materials on Earth were placed there. There is a hunger that can only be sated by the manna that is Jesus the Christ, and that manna is the one we all can place our hope in.

Prayer:
Dear God,
Help us to truly understand how to live a life that is satisfied and nourished
by You. Thank you for providing not only for our physical needs, but those of
our spirit as well. Amen

Jesus the Bread of Life/ John 6:25-35

25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him,
“Rabbi, when did you get here?”

26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me,
not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate
the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils,
but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man
will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of
approval.”

28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works
God requires?”

29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the
one he has sent.”

30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we
may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors
ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them
bread from heaven to eat.’[a]”

32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who
has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who
gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God
is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the
world.”

34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”

35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes
to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will
never be thirsty.

Sunny and rainy day friends

There are two kinds of friends in the world: Sunny day friends and rainy day friends. This is a statement that my Mom used to remind me of when I was in the midst of drama or conflict with one school friend of another. There are lots of people that we define as friends, but they are really acquaintances. Two men were out hunting in the northern U.S. Suddenly one yelled and the other looked up to see a grizzly charging them. The first started to frantically put on his tennis shoes and his friend anxiously asked, "What are you doing? Don't you know you can't outrun a grizzly bear?" "I don't have to outrun a grizzly. I just have to outrun you!" This story is funny, but it does help define the distinct difference between a rainy day friend and a sunny day friend. The sunny-day-friend is more concerned with watching out for their own health and wellness, than their friends' wellbeing. On the other hand, a rainy day friend is willing to take risks, work fo

FCE - Dog stroke in spine

Kahlúa is our 15 year old dog that we adopted from the Humane Society when she was four. She joined our family and has been with us for eleven years so far. This morning we found her laying on the carpet in the dining room and was unable to get up and go outside. After letting her rest for a few hours, I gave her some bread to eat and she got up. She was wobbly so I scooped her up and took her outside to go to the bathroom. She managed to remain standing for a few minutes, but was back down quickly. Her back legs did not want to support her even though she was trying to walk. By this point, she had begin to cry so I called the vet and they said to bring her in for an evaluation. My kids and I tearfully wrapped her up in a blanket and drove to the vet. It seemed as if we were sitting in the waiting room forever. The vet told me that her heart, eye function, and lungs were great - also taking into consideration her age of 15! The problem seemed to be FCE - firocartilanginous embolism: w

Gifts we have to give

So often people will think of the areas of life that they fall short or what may need some improvement. I think there is some wisdom in knowing where we need some work as humans, but I also feel it is equally important to learn, foster and use the gifts each one of us are instilled with. So here is the challenge or question that I'd like to present: "What gift(s) has God given to you that can be used in the care and ministry of loving others?" How have you seen that gift used in the past? How would you like to use it? If you dream big and I dream big together - how could God work in that big pool of gifts in the lives of others??? Let's share our gifts today and dream of what they can accomplish for God's purpose! 1 Peter 4:8-10 (New International Version) 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,

Uphill idealist

Search This Blog