Daily Bread

Jesus is the bread of life. He alone satisfies the needs of our soul and can give us eternal life.

“Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover. Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes…This is what the Lord…says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life…Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me…Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?” “It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.” Then the prophet Isaiah called on the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.” 2 Kings 20:1-11

There is a not-so-hidden truth that we all know but do not necessarily like to discuss. The truth is we will all have a day when we are on our deathbed. Our bodies march one day closer to perishing each day. Our physical bodies are on a countdown, like sand in an hourglass. Hezekiah was knocking on heaven’s door but was not ready to leave the earth. He asked God for more time, and God gave it to him. How do you think he spent his last 15 years? How would you spend your time if you knew your time was limited? Are you happy with your life? Is God?

Many ignore the reality that our lives are short and live to please flesh that fades. Jesus came to change our thinking and point us in a new direction. He wants to give us a new song of salvation and teach us to live for the Spirit. He did not come to satisfy the flesh but to serve and save. He said His food is to do God’s will. When Hezekiah called out to God, his prayer point was his relationship with God, and he declared that his heart was wholeheartedly devoted. On our last day, the same will be true for us. The only thing we can stand on as we look to enter heaven’s gate will be our relationship with Jesus and whether we have given Him our hearts. How does knowing that change how we live today? How does it change our priorities? Are you ready to meet your Maker, or, like Hezekiah, do you need more time to get right with God?

“Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.”Psalms 33:1-21

Have you been transformed by the love of Christ? Have you experienced the amazing grace and goodness of God? David said to sing a new song. What does that mean to you? No one should ever encounter Jesus and walk away the same. We should never sing the same old, same old. As we die to our old lives and are born of the Holy Spirit, we sing a new song.

David said to play skillfully. It honors God to do your best. He said to do what is right and just, for we are meant to honor God with how we respond to His love. David said the earth is full of His love. We may be living in a broken world, but that world is full of the love of God. It is not hard to see or experience God’s love. It is everywhere—in the eyes of a loved one or the embrace of a friend. God wants you to see and participate in bringing love to the world skillfully and continually, living to worship Him alone. How is your life reflecting God’s love?

David said to wait. Do not hurry. Do not run the red light or let the flesh lead. Paul said love is patient. Wait. Wait on the Lord all the time. Let His Spirit empower the way you live. Let Him guide every step, and let His grace cover every word. For Jesus is our help and our shield. He is our hope. The new song we sing is the song of the redeemed and should fill every room we enter. Jesus said a lamp should never be hidden, for it is made to shine and give light to others. How will the new life you have in Jesus lift up others as you sing, share, and serve?

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips. If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse. As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are human eyes. The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but people are tested by their praise. Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations.” Proverbs 27:1-24

What a perfect passage to connect with Hezekiah’s story. Solomon said not to boast about tomorrow. How often have you lived as though tomorrow was guaranteed? It is not. Procrastination and apathy are from the evil one. Each day is meant to be seen as a gift, not something we take for granted. Today is not just another day measured by minutes. We are meant to experience the power and might of God that transforms minutes into memories. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. It is not just another day.

When asked the most important commandment, Jesus directly connected loving God with loving others. Emotional intelligence matters. We were made with eyes to see and ears to hear so that we could be aware of how we are impacting those around us. Solomon said if you bless loudly in the morning, it could be seen as a curse. Do you see what he means by this? We are not just measured by our intentions, but we must understand how our words and actions will be received by others. God gives us a higher standard.

Historically, the people of God have not always been the most emotionally intelligent. What good is sharing truth with others if we forgo grace? Truth without relationship comes across as judgment and condemnation. Solomon said we are to sharpen and shape each other. Every day we have the opportunity to encourage and spur each other on. Who will you help today? How will you use this day to make a difference in someone else’s life?

Solomon said you will be tested by your praise, but be careful not to let your song be saturated with things that can never be fully satisfied. David said to sing a new song, and Solomon said that your life’s song will reflect whether your heart was devoted, like Hezekiah’s, to living for God. Think about the last thing you celebrated. Was it a pleasure received or an answer to prayer?

God wants to give us new eyes to see that the best songs include serving others, knowing the condition of our flocks, and sharing the story of how He has given you new life. You do not have to be a pastor to have people that you help. There is so much wisdom in Proverbs 27 that can help us live a life that is meaningful.

“They will die of deadly diseases.They will perish by sword and famine…Why has the Lord decreed such a great disaster against us…say to them, ‘It is because…They forsook me and did not keep my law. See how all of you are following the stubbornness of your evil hearts instead of obeying me…Lord, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress, to you the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say, “Our ancestors possessed nothing but false gods, worthless idols that did them no good. Do people make their own gods? Yes, but they are not gods!” “Therefore I will teach them—this time I will teach them my power and might. Then they will know that my name is the Lord.”Jeremiah 16:3-21

Hezekiah was dying of a deadly disease, yet God had mercy on him and gave him more time. Healing can be a hard subject. We all will find healing the moment we enter heaven, but before then it is easy to wonder why God answers some prayers and not others. The enemy wants to twist the truth and make you doubt your relationship when you do not see healing happen instantly. Our job is not to know how and when God will work; our call is to be wholeheartedly devoted.

Jeremiah speaks to divided hearts and divided minds. He tells the people that it is because they worship other things and have not obeyed the Holy One. This might be seen as a speech that is just to people from the past, but it is very relevant in our present reality. There are endless things that entice our hearts in other directions. It is good to daily consider what your heart is desiring. It is good to reflect and think about how your life reflects your heart and whether you are living for the flesh or living for the Spirit.

“When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!…Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted…Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you…The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent…Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life…the one who believes has eternal life. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day…Does this offend you? The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.” John 6:5-58

Have you taken communion recently? Think of how special it is to take the bread and drink the wine, knowing that Jesus’ body was broken for us and His blood poured out to usher in the new covenant where we are one with Him. Normal bread goes bad after a period of time. The Bread of Life gives us life abundantly. We do not live on bread alone but on every word of God.

Jesus invites us to live for what lasts forever. Hezekiah knew his days were numbered. So are ours. David called us to sing a new song, one that embraces each day with expectation and with eyes toward eternity. Solomon taught us to invest in people and use our time to sharpen and serve each other. Jeremiah warned us to watch out for idols because they can turn our hearts from God. Each passage points to what Jesus said about living for the Spirit, not the flesh.

Solomon said the things of this world will never satisfy the needs of our soul, but we know Jesus always will. Ask God to show you where your heart is being pulled. See where your flesh is hungering for temporary pleasures. Is there anything competing with Christ for your devotion?

The passages today were full of wisdom on how to live to please God. Feed on His Word. Walk by His Spirit. Know the condition of your flock. Encourage someone. Sharpen like iron. Bring compassion where there is pain and hope where there is hurt. Ordinary minutes become extraordinary moments when we experience God’s power made perfect in the smallest acts of sacrificial love.

One day we will all stand before God. On that day, maybe we will wish for more time like Hezekiah. We know we will not wish we had more possessions or more earthly pleasures. On that day, if we know Jesus, we will join the choir of angels in praise. We will rejoice and raise a hallelujah in the heavenly realms. Until that day, let your life become a new song that points others to Christ. Worship Him alone, trust Him completely, and live each day with eternity always on your mind, knowing that those who eat the Bread of Life never hunger.