Women Who Show Up... for Life (3)

I don't know about you, but every so often I find myself in need of refreshment.  We frequently tend to think of refreshment in terms of beverages and food; Jesus fully understood this very physical way of thinking, and so He used it, so to speak, as a springboard, to point to a deeper spiritual truth - to point to Himself as being The True Bread and Water of Life... 

"Jesus said to them, 

'I am the Bread of Life: 

he who comes to Me will not hunger,

 and he who believes in Me will never thirst'".

John 6:35

"...Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 

'If anyone is thirsty, 

let him come to Me and drink.  
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 
'From his innermost being will flow rivers of Living Water.'"

John 7:37-38

Just as our bodies are in daily need of food and water, so our souls are in daily need of spiritual Food and spiritual Water - and just as we daily show up for our physical food and water, we also need to daily Show Up for our spiritual Food and Water.

Though we may not be able to 'see' our souls, even the most well fed, health conscious person, someone who is diligent in meticulously taking care of their physical body, if they have neglected the care of their own souls, are spiritually emaciated and heading towards ultimate spiritual death.  If this sounds harsh or offensive to you, take a moment and ask yourself why.

In John 6, Jesus shows compassion for the physical needs of the people; they were hungry and, miraculously, He made sure that they were all fed.  The following day, these people showed up for breakfast, fully anticipating that Jesus, once again, would provide for their physical need - they had missed the Beauty of the 'sign', of the miracle of their feeding, from the day before.  They had all received the blessing, yet had not received the Source of Blessing.

Signs are meant to point to something.  The signs of Jesus, throughout the book of John, had a purpose too... they always pointed to Jesus.  In missing the sign which pointed to Jesus, the people missed Jesus, and in missing Jesus, their minds remained on the hunger of their physical appetites and not on the hunger of their own spiritual souls.  So, when they showed up for their early morning miracle breakfast, Jesus said to them,

"Truly, truly, I say to you, 

you seek Me, 

not because you saw signs, 

but because you ate the loaves and were filled."

John 6:26

How often do we come to Jesus for our physical needs, or someone else's physical needs?  We tend to think that our comfort, our security, our health, our happiness, our life, depend upon the things of this world.  It's like coming to Jesus to play the game, 'Do This, Do This, Do That'.  There are some people that have come to Jesus, thinking that by receiving His Invitation, they will automatically have all of their physical needs and appetites, met.  Yet if their eyes were never really on Jesus, their eyes will continue to remain on their own physical appetites.  Someone once said to me, "Listen Cathie, if God would fill my bank account and make me a millionaire, then sure, I'd get up on a Sunday morning and go to church and praise Him too!"

Somehow, I doubt it.

But listen, of course we can go to Jesus for our physical needs!  My goodness, that's a well worn path that I've trod myself, many, many times, over the years, and will continue to do so!  But here's the thing... there is comfort and there is The Comforter, there is security and there is The Saviour, there is health and there is The Healer, there is happiness and there is The Joy of the Lord, there is life and there is The Giver of Life, there are the things of this world and then there is The Creator of All Things.  To go to Jesus for Who He Is, leaves everything else in the dust and is peace beyond understanding, indeed!  He is your Comfort, He is your Strength.... He Is.

I don't know about you, but every so often I find myself in need of refreshment - and as my spiritual eyes look past the things of this world, my heart is set upon the pilgrimage of Showing Up, and partaking of, The Bread of Life and The Living Water!

See you at the Banquet Table!

"But seek first His kingdom 

and His righteousness, 

and all these things will be added to you."

Matthew 6:33