John 6:48-51 "I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
John 15:5,9-11 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing...“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that MY JOY may be in YOU and that your joy may be COMPLETE.
Isaiah 55:2-3
"Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love.
John 7:38
"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said,'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'"
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Evelyn Underhill once explained that there are three great longings of the human soul:
1. A longing for a place to belong
2. A longing to be loved
3. A longing to be clean
These cravings lead people to join everything from sports teams to churches. They motivate many women to watch chick flicks and to dream about their knight in shining armor. They incite individuals to give alms, make pilgrimages to holy places, to confess their sins, and to do good deeds.
Ultimately, what we long for is Christ, and we will only know satisfaction and contentment when we know Him.
Only in Him do we find true acceptance and membership in His family.
Only in Him do we find One who loves us unconditionally.
Only in Him do we find forgiveness of sins.
He satisfies our hunger. He fulfills our longing.
"For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things." (He fills us with Himself) Psalm 107:9.
Are you seeking your satisfaction in Him? Whether you are longing for a significant other, more money, etc. It won't bring you joy or contentment.
It is a poor substitute for Christ. Furthermore, if you are looking to things or people instead of Christ, you will be consumed with your pursuit of them because you will always have to obtain something more in order to finally be content.
It's a fruitless endeavor because you will never attain satisfaction apart from Christ.
What do you spend your time thinking about? What directs your life? What do you long for and in who/what are you seeking to fulfill that craving? Are you living for the temporal or for the eternal? Who is your life centered on--God or yourself?
My heart is to not just bring light to a need, but to point you to the all-satisfying Christ.
Only Christ is a solid Rock, a sure foundation. Seek Him instead of things or people. He is what you need.
Even if you are trusting in Christ, it is so easy to be distracted and to satiate ourselves with a diet that is sub-par.
Your body was meant to live on water and food, and your soul was meant to live on God.
Our emotions swing on things that don't matter.
The question is, How do I change my tastes?
Jesus alone can transform our tastes. There is a similar question people asked Jesus in
John 6: 28, "What must we do to be doing the works of God?" (What works can we work?) This is superficial, external, and a seemingly endless effort to change. It misses the whole point.
In these verses, Jesus' message is,
"Come to me, let me fill you from the inside out, trust in me, get to know me through my word--I AM the word, don't go back to imitation fruitless endeavors, don't settle for anything but the real thing, run to me. I'm offering you infinite joy. I'm drawing you to myself. You didn't come to me but I came to you. The pleasures you love are fleeting, they won't last and they never have TRULY satisfied you. Get to know me.
What are you seeking __________?"
(Jesus alone can fulfill our desires, You come to God to get GOD, you trust in God so you can HAVE God.)
(The key to growth, change, & finding satisfaction in Christ is to stay connected to Him.)
