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.”
John 6:35 (NIV)
What fully satisfies and brings contentment? Believe it or not Scripture offers the secret of contentment. Paul found it and wrote about it in his letter to the believers in the Philippian church. What is this secret Paul spoke of?
God sustained Israel in the desert with a food the Israelites called manna (meaning “What is it?”). Manna was a bread-like substance that appeared within the camp every morning. Moses wrote that it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste was like wafers made with honey (Ex. 16:31). It nourished the nation for 40 years but did not give eternal life.
Bread has always been a life sustainer for all the nations of the earth, but even though it sustains life it is not capable of granting a life that will last forever. That can only be granted by the One who spoke life into existence (Gen. 1:1-2:1).
In His conversation with the Samaritan woman, Jesus presented Himself as living water that would bring a spring of thirst-quenching inexhaustible life (Jn. 4:4-14). Later He presented Himself as the bread of life that would satisfy the hungry soul and give eternal life to its partakers.
The Christian life is not an easy life. Anyone who says differently is unwise in their judgment. It is a life defined by trust in Christ, determination, and focused obedience to the will of God. All the other choices the world offers leave us hungry, thirsty, and always wanting more. Name it; sex, work, relationships, marriages, family, food, possessions, or wealth are our major go-to's. While there is nothing sinful in any of these things when used according to God’s guidelines, depending on them for lasting fulfilment will only disappoint us when they fade. They will leave our soul famished, and always craving something new or more of the same wind (Ecc. 1:14).
The only thing that will leave us fully satisfied is the true and eternal bread of life, Christ Himself. The only thing that quenches the thirst for more of the unsatisfactory is the living water that He offers. Life’s pathway often leads into desert wastes where we can become entangled in addictive lifestyles and overwhelmed with disappointment. Nothing satisfies completely for everything the world offers will eventually fade away. So, what fully satisfies?
Jesus offended many of His disciples when He told them that to have eternal life, they had to eat His flesh and drink His blood. Outside of the manna in the wilderness He was the true bread sent from God that gives eternal life in Him (Jn. 6:53-58). He was saying in following Him we are to completely immerse ourselves into His being as our daily sustenance that nourishes in His strength alone. Paul writes of the secret of a satisfaction that brings contentment no matter the circumstances. Is that possible? Yes, it is. It is nothing we can do in our own strength to make it so. Paul realized the secret to contentment was to put his trust in the strength and power of Christ. (Phil. 4:11-13).
While life can be joyous at times, sin brings mostly hard toil and difficulty, but in Christ, if it is not always easy, it can be satisfying. God’s Son, the Bread of Life, nourishes and fully satisfies. He leaves every fiber of our being fully alive forever more, proving the day-to-day satisfaction of His rich spiritual sustenance which is lasting and always enough. The Master calls us to come and dine. He is food for thought and the only one who can leave our hungry souls fully satisfied.
Maranatha,
Ken
