"Jesus replied, 'I am the Bread of Life. No one coming to Me will ever be hungry again. Those believing in Me shall never thirst'" (John 6:35).
What would it be like never to be hungry - never to be thirsty?
Even in affluent America, you and I - and perhaps most people - have felt pangs of hunger and thirst, if only for a brief period. Jesus is telling us here that, spiritually speaking, we need never be hungry or thirsty again.
But how is that possible?
As the bread of life - the support of spiritual life - His doctrines give life and peace to the soul.
In Eastern countries, especially, there are vast deserts and often a great lack of water. By nature, the soul is like a traveler wandering through such a desert. Thirsting for happiness, seeking it everywhere and finding it not, he looks in all directions and tries all objects - in vain.
St. Augustine expressed this hunger for God in the following prayer, "Thou hast made us for Thyself, O God, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee."
When we drink of the water that is Christ, we become satisfied - and need never thirst again. As we continue to grow in grace, which comes only by feasting on His Word, we find a never-ending pattern of satisfaction with Him and all that concerns Him.
The principle is clear: As you and I feed on the Word of God and its rich truths, we are satisfying a spiritual hunger and thirst that could never be satisfied otherwise. Hungering and thirsting after righteousness, on the other hand, is also a necessity if we are really to grow in grace. The truths are not contradictory, but are complementary.
My daily manna and drink shall come from the living Word, our Lord Jesus Christ, and His holy inspired written word, the Bible, enabling me to live the supernatural life.
©1994-2024 Cru. All Rights Reserved.
