Jan 21, 2005

[Kidan]

Quote[/b] ] John 6:27-33 (NRSV)
"Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal." Then they said to him, "What must we do to perform the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." So they said to him, "What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" Then Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

Quote[/b] ]Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
-Matthew 5:6 (NRSV)

GETTING up had become a struggle each day. I began to skip my morning Bible reading because I was too tired. Day by day, my strength was ebbing away. I wondered, What is wrong with me? A wise counselor said, "Check your physical condition to find out if the problem is there." I think I already knew that was my answer, since I fainted often. At first the doctors couldn't find the cause. In the meantime, I lost my appetite for food. I had no appetite for reading my Bible, either. I was becoming undernourished spiritually as well as physically.

Finally, tests showed a heart problem. After insertion of a pacemaker, I could eat and enjoy food again. As my body grew stronger, my spirit sparked to life. Every day, besides physical food, I craved and needed spiritual food. I found that praying and reading the Bible made a real difference. Then I understood what Jesus meant about hungering and thirsting for righteousness. Those needs are as real as our physical hunger and thirst.
Mary D. MacKinnon (Paraná, Brazil)

Heavenly Father, keep us hungering and thirsting for you. Amen.