Bread of Life

Part of becoming an endurance cyclist is learning to eat right. The day I rode the Seattle to Portland ride in one day (206 miles) I made one mistake. My riding partner and I took a break in Tenino, WA and where we stopped there was a stand selling huge polish sausage. I just couldn't resist the smell. We both ate one but a few miles down the road it was sitting like a bomb in my stomach just waiting to blow up. It nearly caused me to drop out of the ride. If you're riding a great distance you can't eat too much or too heavy, otherwise it will make you sick on the bike. However, if you eat too little you will "bonk", that is, hit the wall, run out of energy and fail to reach your goal.

Undoubtedly, like me you've heard one of those "wonderful" news report about how one of your favorite foods, or one of the foods you alwsys thought was good for you, was now discovered by scientists to cause cancer, or raise your cholesterol, or spike your blood pressure, or was in some way or another going to kill you.

I'm wondering how long it will take before one of those scientists reads John 6? Jesus said: "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." (vv. 53-58)

I don't care how good any earthly food may be for the body, you can still eat too much of it, enough to make you sick. And no matter how carefully you watch your diet you will eventually die. There is only one food that brings eternal life. That is the Bread of Life that came down from heaven, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If you want to live forever, feed on Him.

How do we feed on Jesus? The Word for Today is a perfect example. Be in God's Word each day. Read it, meditate on it, pray over it, memorize it, and obey it. Recall the promises God has made to you in Jesus over and over again.

Another way to feed on the Bread of Life is to regularly partake of the Lord's Supper. As we eat his flesh and drink his blood in and with the bread and wine of Holy Communion, our sins are forgiven and we are stregthened in faith for eternal life.

The wonderful thing about the bread of life is that you can never "overeat". It will also keep you from "bonking" or running out of the spiritual strength and energy you need to do God's will. It will empower you to glorify God in your daily life. Unlike some other foods, it certainly won't kill you and when you eat of it, rather than dying you have eternal life. So instead of listening to the lastest news report about some kind of junk food, spend some time each day feasting on the Bread of Life. There's nothing better!