New Morning Mercies #170

The temporary pleasures of this present world are meant to point you to the lasting pleasures of knowing God.

The story didn’t end the way the crowd thought it would:

When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” . . . Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. . . . I am the bread of life. 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.” (John 6:25–27, 35, 48–51)

Jesus has just fed a large crowd of people with a little boy’s lunch. The crowd is amazed at his power and excited about his ability to provide for them physically. They think that this is just the kind of king they want. But Jesus is having none of it. To the surprise of the crowd, he runs and hides. When the crowd finally catches up with him, they confess their confusion at his response, and Jesus essentially says: “I came to earth not just to be your physical provider, but to meet your deepest spiritual needs. Every good physical thing I give you is meant to point you to the spiritual provision that you need and that I will make for you in my life, death, and resurrection.” Every physical blessing is designed by God to be a sign that points you to the spiritual blessings that are found only in surrendering your heart to him.

This leaves us all with questions: What do we really want out of life? What do we really want from God? Do we really esteem his work of grace? Do we really admit how much we need his moment-by-moment rescue? Do we value his forgiveness? Do we really care to be transformed? Are we concerned about the character of our hearts and the condition of our souls? Do we have any interest in being holy as he is holy? All these questions boil down to one question: Do we value God’s grace, or would we rather have comfortable lives—nice houses, cars, vacations, cuisine, and friends?

What gift could Jesus offer you that would make you want to make him your King? Humbly meditate on this question today. Could it be that you want him to be your King for all the wrong reasons? If your answer is yes, don’t run and hide from him, because there’s grace for that too!

For further study and encouragement: Titus 2:11–14