John 6:47-51
“I’m telling you the most solemn and
sober truth now: Whoever believes in me has real life, eternal life. I
am the Bread of Life. Your ancestors ate the manna bread in the desert
and died. But now here is Bread that truly comes down out of heaven.
Anyone eating this Bread will not die, ever. I am the Bread—living
Bread!—who came down out of heaven. Anyone who eats this Bread will
live—and forever! The Bread that I present to the world so that it can
eat and live is myself, this flesh-and-blood self.”
Scripture
quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002
by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs,
CO. All rights reserved.
I
am a “GRITS”…a Girl Raised In The South, and we “GRITS” love our
cornbread! I have a little plaque that says, “Lord, thank you for
letting me be born in the South – and for the cornbread and turnip
greens in my mouth!” But here’s the thing…I have developed an allergy
to corn…so the very “bread” I love could potentially kill me! Some of
you may be gluten intolerant…or you’re diabetic…and bread is somewhat
your “enemy.” I get it. We think of bread as life-sustaining…but that
is not always the case – at least not in a physical sense!
But
Bread – the Bread of Life that represents Jesus’ body given on the cross
for you and me – is EVERYTHING! I love how this passage explains that
when we believe in Jesus and commit our hearts to Him, we receive Bread
that will sustain us FOREVER. I particularly like the sentence that
says, “Anyone eating this Bread will not die, ever.”
I
don’t know about you, but these words really encourage me. Because of
Jesus and the Bread of Life that I have in Him, nothing can ever truly
harm me. Because of Jesus’ Bread of Life, I am “safe and secure from
all alarms,” as it says in the old hymn.* The Bread of Life fills me,
nurtures me, sustains me…and never ends!
Because of the Bread
of Life, I am leaning on the everlasting arms of Jesus in all things. I
am not only a “GRITS”…I am also a “BOLCOG” (Bread of Life Child of
God)! I get to enjoy this “Bread” every single day - as much as I
want/need! But when I get to heaven, I’ll take mine with a slice of
cornbread, please…and a big ole mess of turnip greens with a tall glass
of sweet tea on the side! Will I see you there?
©2015 Debbie Robus
*Leaning on the Everlasting Arms (public domain)
What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
Leaning on the everlasting arms?
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
Refrain:
Leaning, leaning,
Safe and secure from all alarms;
Leaning, leaning,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.
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