Speaking to the soul

Aslan – Belfast

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life…”
John 6:26-27 NLT

I’m not sure it was easier for those first disciples who’d actually seen and been with Jesus, though we might wonder. Faith is required, regardless of whether Jesus is present as he was throughout his incarnate ministry on earth or today, when we encounter that same presence through the grace of God’s Spirit.

On this occasion the crowds who had enjoyed a free picnic go in search of Jesus on the far side of the lake. The night before, they had attempted to make him their king. Jesus sees their motive and contrasts their material desires with their failure to perceive their spiritual poverty. And I see myself within that crowd. There is the constant desire within me: I want Jesus to resolve all my issues.

As Jesus explains later in the chapter, he is all we need to live. I once expected that my obedient pursuit of God would protect me from the harsh realities of life.

I could treat God as little more than a divine slot machine. Life experience teaches something different. If I am to endure the winters that test my Christian resolve, I will need to differentiate between what I perceive as my welfare, and what God chooses for me. All too easily, I am consumed by the mirage of personal peace, affluence and security, at the cost of my deepening friendship with God.

I hear Jesus’ voice in the distance calling me to follow him, while challenging me as to where I am investing my energy; in pursuit of the eternal or merely in securing a larger piece of the material pie? God invites you, as he did the crowd, to choose where you want to invest your energy.

QUESTION

Where are you going to invest your energy?

PRAYER

Guide my choices, Lord, so they agree with yours.