Wednesday, December 14

My food…

Scripture: Amos 7-9, John 4

John 4:31–34 

31 In the meantime the disciples kept urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 

32 But he said, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.” 

33 The disciples said to one another, “Could someone have brought him something to eat?” 

34 “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work,” Jesus told them.

Observation

While the disciples were away in the village getting food, Jesus had a redemptive conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. They returned and offered him food, and He responded, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.” They wondered if someone brought him food. Just as the woman at the well thought He was talking about literal water, the disciples thought He was talking about literal food. Jesus clarified, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.”

When Jesus was tempted to turn stones into bread, He quoted Deuteronomy 8:3 and said, “Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” God’s word and God’s will sustained Jesus. His conversation with the woman at the well was doing God’s work and bringing God’s word, and so was more sustaining to Jesus than any food the disciples could buy at the village market.

Application

I love to eat. And I’m pretty determined to get three square meals (with snacks) each day. Not much can keep me from my daily bread.

What if I was as determined to feed on God’s word and do God’s will as I was to eat? It’s clear what Jesus’ priority was—what’s mine? Is doing God’s will more important to me than my daily bread? 

And I’ve experienced the wonderful “fullness” that comes from doing God’s will. Today, I want to engage others in redemptive conversations like Jesus did; I want to do God’s will.

Prayer: Lord, let it be true of me that “I have bread to eat that you don’t know about.” Help me be more committed to doing Your will than I am getting my daily bread. Help me in every situation to hear Your will and do it…and be filled.