The Upper Room Daily Devotion – Monday, 3 February 2014 -”No
Ordinary Bread” Read John 6: 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate
the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes
down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living
bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever;
and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can
this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I
tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you
have no life in you. 54 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal
life, and I will raise them up on the last day; 55 for my flesh is true food
and my blood is true drink. 56 Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide
in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because
of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread
that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they
died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”
Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life.”-—John 6:35 (NIV)
I love eating foods from different cultures, and some of the
things I most enjoy are the different kinds of bread. Some breads are flat;
some are leavened. Some are dense and dark; others are fluffy and light. Some
are served warm and some at room temperature. I never tire of exploring and
learning how each culture makes bread. Beyond the taste and texture, however,
is another amazing thing about bread: As different as breads are, they share a
purpose we all can relate to. In many cultures, bread is central to our meals;
it nourishes our bodies and gives us strength for our work each day. It unites
us, too. When I eat my morning toast, I can imagine someone else, far away,
eating their bread with dinner or lunch. When I make my own bread, I can
imagine other folks in another land doing the same thing — carefully and with
love. When Jesus says, “I am the bread of life,” we immediately understand the
central place God has in our lives. What’s more, we share Jesus, the Bread of
Life, with each other, far and near, as we live faithfully. When we think of
Jesus, “the bread of life,” our ordinary, daily bread takes on a deep, rich
meaning and becomes something not so ordinary.--The Author-Maureen Pratt
(California, USA)
Thought for the Day: Jesus is our spiritual nourishment.
Prayer: Dear God, we praise you for the gift of your son, Jesus,
the Bread of Life, who unites us all in faith. Amen.
Prayer focus: Gratitude for our daily bread
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