“And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. John 6:35
From the very first words of his Gospel account, John establishes the fact that Jesus was the Almighty God, the Creator of the universe, and the One who had come to be the Saviour of mankind. Throughout his Gospel, there are seven times that Jesus referred to Himself as “I AM” and this week we are going to look at each of them and what they mean to us today.
When God appeared to Moses in the burning bush and told him that he was to go back to Egypt and deliver the Israelites from bondage, Moses questioned whom he should say sent him, and the Lord replied: “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” Exodus 3:14.
During their journey from Egypt to Canaan, God proved Himself faithful to His people. He provided them with food and with water as they had need of them.
During Jesus’ earthly ministry, on two different occasions, He multiplied the bread and fish to feed hungry multitudes. Many followed Him because of those miracles. But in John 6:35, He was not referring to natural bread, but the bread of life that He offered freely to all who would accept it.
When He met the woman at the well of Samaria and asked her for a drink of water, it was not just because He was thirsty. He used that as an opportunity to reveal Who He was and offer her the living water.
The promise given in the Sermon on the Mount is for every one of us today:
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6
Every day we need our natural food to give us the strength to perform our daily tasks and responsibilities. But more important is the spiritual strength that we receive as we daily read the Word of God, and let it sink deep into our hearts. As we meditate upon it, the Lord opens our understanding and draws us closer to Himself.
Jesus, thank you for the privilege of knowing you as the great I AM, our Saviour, and our God. Thank you for your Word and for the way you provide for us daily.
Devotion by Anne Johnston
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