That I might have life

Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled.

Don’t work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set his seal of approval on him.”

“What can we do to perform the works of God?” they asked.

Jesus replied, “This is the work of God—that you believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:26-29)

Jesus, the people came to you for bread as if bread was the most important thing, as if bread was the thing that truly gave life.

But Jesus, I come to you hoping you will give me yourself. Because you yourself are the source of life.

You gave your life for the world on that cross, your flesh crucified, your blood shed for our sins. For my sins.

And by giving yourself on that cross and dying in my place, you gave me life.

But this life-giving doesn’t stop at the cross, does it? I first got that life by coming to you and believing in you for my salvation.

But I’m continually receiving life from you by coming to you and believing you every day. I need to be constantly coming to you and feeding off of you.

You have the words of eternal life. They give me life as I face the challenges of the day. They encourage me. They lead me. They give me wisdom. They correct me when I start going on the wrong path.

But you not only give me your words. You give me your grace when I fall. Even now I’m feeding off what you did on the cross for me.

And by what you did on the cross, I now have access to your power. The same power the Father used to raise you from the dead is now in me.

Power to overcome temptation. Power to overcome Satan’s attacks. Power to deal with difficult people. Power to deal with anything I face in life.

All this was bought for me when your body was broken and your blood shed at the cross.

But again, most of all, you give me yourself, walking beside me every moment of every day.

So Jesus, I come to you today and ask, “Please give me yourself. You’re all I need.”