OUR DAILY BREAD : BAKING WITH JESS

[cimi]

MONDAY AUGUST 17


BAKING WITH JESS

READ:
John 6:27
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Do not labor for
the food which
perishes, but for
the food which
endures to
everlasting life.
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One morning as Lilia prepared for work, her 4-year-old daughter Jess set to work too. The family had purchased a conveyor toaster, and the concept of cycling bread through the small countertop oven fascinated Jess. Minutes later, Lilia discovered a loaf and a half of toast piled on the counter. "I'm a very good baker!" Jess declared.

It's no miracle that an inquisitive girl could turn bread into toast. But when Jesus transformed a boy's five loaves and two fish into a meal for thousands, the crowd on the hillside recognized the miraculous nature of the event and wanted to make Him king (SEE JOHN 6:1-15).

Jesus' kingdom, of course, is "not of this world" (JOHN 18:36), and so He slipped away. When the crowd found Him the next day, Christ identified a flaw in their motives: "You seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled" (6:26). They mistakenly thought "King" Jesus would give them full stomachs and national freedom. But Jesus counseled them, "Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life" (v.27).

An earthbound view will cause us to treat Jesus as a means to an end. He is, in fact, our bread of Life.
____Tim Gustafson

**Lord, our cares and worries can keep us from a
genuine relationship with You. May we see You as our very food
and not only as our divine problem-solver.
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Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you.

***********************Today's Bible Reading __ John 6:22-34***************************
22 On the following day, when the people who were
standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was
no other boat there, except that one which His disciples
had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat
with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone__

23 however, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place
where they ate bread after the Lord had given thanks__ 24 when
the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His
disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum,
seeking Jesus. 25 And when they found Him on the other side of
the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?"

26 Jesus answered them and said, "Most assuredly, I say to
you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because
you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 do not labor for the food
which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting
life, which the son of Man will give you, because God the
Father has set His seal on Him.


28 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may
work the works of God?"

29 Jesus answered and said to them, "this is the work of God,
that you believe in Him whom He sent."

30 Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform
then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You
do? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written,
'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' "

32 Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you,
Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father
gives you the true bread from heaven, 33 For the bread of God is
He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

34 Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always."