JESUS, the ANSWER - "BREAD for the Journey"

As I shared already in this post (my official 1st post of 2023) after announcing the 2023 New Year (which I actually did before Jan.1) that I would not be blogging until I completed my 21 days with prayer & fasting, I let you know that I was doing "52 Weeks with Jesus". This week begins Section Two - Jesus, the Answer!

I found the following (boxed) intro quite interesting; especially after completing a few 21 day Bible reading plans, one of which was "21 Days of the Great I Am" that I tagged along following a sister in Christ/friend. And in the beginning of that "I AM" plan (on the 2nd & 3rd day), we began, as this section does with 

"I AM  the Bread of Life"

"Like Hansel & Gretel, JESUS drops bread crumbs along the path to knowing Him."...

I enjoy every morsel of His Bread!

[credit: heartlight.org]

The rest of that paragraph in the Intro to "JESUS, the Answer" lets us know that JESUS "offers us symbols, images, pictures and clues to remind us that He is more ... than human... He is far different - better ..." which JESUS explains in the Gospel of John, with the use of the 7 "I AM" statements "to share the intricate folds of His personality and identity." These 7 "I AM statements" "help us understand not only who He is but also what He wants to be for us." 

There is another study currently being done with Faith Gateway by Kathy Lee Gifford & Rabbi Jason called "The God of the How and When" but this seems to say that JESUS is also the WHO and What, yet intricately woven throughout scripture, especially John 3:16, we, believers know that JESUS, more than anything, is the WHY as well. To me, that completes JESUS coming to earth (the Where) to be the complete Answer for humanity to be (at-one) with God once again for eternity. Just as "bread" nourishes the hunger in us, JESUS fills the people who are hungry. Just as bread fills our empty stomachs giving us life, JESUS came to give His own Life to give us eternal Life and He fills that empty place in our very life: 

"What food is to your body, I am to your soul" ~ JESUS

All this is to say that it makes sense that the first week in this section two is:

 BREAD FOR THE JOURNEY

week 4

John 6:22-40 and 40:59

"... JESUS reminds us that He is sustenance for all people in all places at all times."

This week the subtitles and some of the scripture readings are:

"Hungry People" - John 6:35,48 "Jesus, the Feeder" - John 6:26 "Look for the Spiritual, Not the Material" - John 6:28-29;30-31 "Live for the Eternal, Not the Temporal" "Bread that Satisfies"

also Exodus 16:1-21; Nehemiah 9:9-21; Psalm 78:17-25
I do each of the above parts - one subtitle a day (which is very brief, but much to munch on, along with God's Word). So that means for today, I am reading "Look for the Spiritual, Not the Material" but I am actually reading "Live for the Eternal, Not the Temporal" too. The first thing that caught my eye was "Jesus challenged them to quit working for the stuff that won't last & start focusing on the things that will" then the 2nd was "stuff is temporal, but your soul is eternal". Now that morsel alone is plenty for me to focus on JESUS, as my sole (soul) sustenance... the manna I need today. 

 

"Lord, Giver of all good gifts, teach me to hunger for bread that truly satisfies."

There is a story in the final day that I would like to find & share. I believe I received it in an email so I will add it below:

"After World War II, Europe was overwhelmed with a number of hungry, homeless children who had been orphaned by the conflict. These children were placed in large camps where they received sufficient food and care. But the caregivers noticed the children did not sleep well at night. They were anxious and fearful and restless.    The caregivers were stumped until a psychologist formulated a solution. He instructed the caregivers to give each child a piece of bread, not to eat, but to hold after they were put to bed.    The results astounded all. The children slept through the night because they knew they would have food the next day. Holding bread gave them a sense of security (they were safe), significance (somebody cared about them), and satisfaction (there will be more bread tomorrow). Those things are what those children needed—and what every person needs.    We are all born with this hunger, but our growling souls can be satisfied only by the Bread of Life" 52 Weeks ... James Merritt

"Resting with Bread"
and
I will be resting with the Bread of Life
- JESUS -
filled and full
secure, significant, satisfied
<>

* an interesting side note that I found is that when making fresh
BREAD
the dough needs to rest
here's an article that gives you 3 reasons why
I'm sure that you, like I, will see a spiritual correlation
I'm not a Bread maker, but my mother was - just like God is!
Heavenly Bread
:)
You and I
need
Bread for the Journey