A mid-morning grumble has you reaching for the cupboard before lunchtime. The food on the counter is calling your name throughout the day. And why does one always feel like munching at nighttime?
You are not alone in your snacking habits and poorly-timed cravings! Food is both a gift to enjoy and a necessity to sustain in life. But every meal will inevitably leave its guests hungry … again.
The satisfaction and benefit of food are temporary—the very reason we come back for more. However, it’s not just stomachs that are ravenous; the human soul is famished. I shouldn’t be surprised, then, that the Bible speaks of food so much.
The first mention is Genesis 1:29, where Creator God gave the first man and woman “every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit” for sustenance. He designed the human body to eat.
God knew Eve would chose the forbidden tree, sin would taint mankind’s experience with food, and ultimately a permanent source of life would be required.
Throughout the generations, God provided flaky, bread-like manna for His people in the wilderness (Exodus 16:14-15). He dispatched ravens to deliver food to His prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17:6). He multiplied five loaves and two fish into a feast for thousands (Matthew 14:17-21).
The entire time, a loving Father was feeding His children. And then He sent His very Son.
“My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world … I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.”
– John 6:32-33, 35
The promised Savior explains further.
“Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”
– 49-51
God’s Provision: Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself to satisfy our eternal hunger for Him and pay our eternal debt of sin against Him. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around that beautiful truth!
Word of the Week: Satisfied. Finally. Forever. In Christ.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
– Matthew 5:6
Abby
