John 6: 26 - 29
26 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. 27 But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.” 28 They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?” 29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”
Application: In reading John 6: 26 – 29 I am reminded of a story I heard from a friend of mine who was able to glean a nugget of wisdom from a student. It is my understanding this student had a profound ‘epiphany’ of life. What sparked his understanding? He grew too large for his shirt. You might be thinking, “How in the world did he gain deep understand of the mysteries of the universe because he out grew his shirt?” The only thing I can say is God spoke to his heart. What do I think God said? Well I think He said something like this, “You can not fit this shirt anymore, and there will be many more shirts you will not be able to fit as you grow older. Because you are getting bigger this shirt has now become valueless to you. Son, how important is this shirt to your eternal destiny?” Now, I don’t think God was trying to tell him not to wear clothes anymore or even to begin shopping at a thrift store. But, I think God was encouraging the student to get the “proper perspective on life.” God was trying to tell him that he should not put all his effort in wearing temporary things like clothes because those things don’t last. God wants him to focus his effort on preserving his soul. This is the same thing Jesus was trying to tell the crowd who was looking for more of Jesus’ fish sandwiches. Jesus, who had just fed 5,000 men not including women and children, wanted them to think about what was really valuable in this life. By the way, what is the most valuable thing in this life? Friend, the most important thing for you in this life is to believe in Jesus and to keep growing in your faith in Him. If you begin to put all of your efforts on Him and keep building on it all of your life, you will be just fine. However, if you spend all your energy acquiring things that perish, then what strength will you have left to get the things that don’t perish? Jesus is trying to show people the difference between temporary gratification and eternal satisfaction. And, like the crowd that was seeking after Jesus for food instead of eternal life, it is your responsibility to spend your energy building faith in Christ rather than spending your energy obtaining something that will not last. Oh, by the way! How are your clothes fitting you lately?
Three action steps:
Take the time to memorize vs. 27 and 29.
What do you spend the most of your effort doing?
Write down something that you can do that will help your faith in Jesus grow!
9 comments:
lol @ fish sandwiches
Exekiel 20:33-44 Yah says He is going to bring us out of the countries that we have been scattered. He will bring us to the wilderness again (Mt. Sinai) and will purge out the rebels.
Exodus chapter 16 Yah gave the Israelites manna as a test. (vs. 4)
Numbers 11:1-15 The people began to complain. They were tired of manna. They wanted meat (quail), cucumbers, melon, leeks, onions and garlic. (They wanted a soul food dinner with dessert,lol)
Numbers 11:31-35 Yah sent them quail and while the meat was still between their teeth they dropped dead because they lusted for food, lust of the flesh. The Israelites who didn't eat the quail buried them.
Yah loves us but He doesn't play either. He means what He says. He doesn't mind bringing "The Belt" out (punishment). This opened my eyes, lol. What if I am sent to the wilderness? I bet there will be manna again. I can't beg for ooey-gooey cheese pizza, juicy backyard burgers, sodas, or the female favorite, Chocolate! After I heard this lesson I knew I would have to control myself. I love and fear Yah.
Or what if I were left behind? I would not knowingly get ha shatan's (the adversary) seal to buy food. So, there will be days that I may not eat. This is probably a test from The Most High, too. I started listening intensely to lessons on fasting. Yahoshua says to be ready! Matthew 24:44
To be continued...
Shonta
What do you spend the most of your effort doing?
I have always gone back and forth with the flesh. From 2003 to late 2006 I was obsessed with exercising. i exercised 4-6 days a week, 2-7 miles. I walked but I still ate a lot. I stopped walking because weirdos and dogs were bothering me. Then, I started going to the gym with my mom because she was diagnosed as pre-diabetic. We would lightweight lift weights and then hit the treadmill. I was still eating a lot. I didn't notice any weight loss but I think my body changed into lean muscle. I didn't weigh myself, I just noticed how my clothes fit me differently.
November 2006, I went to visit my grandmother. When I went into the house, everyone fell silent. My grandmother stepped back and said #%^$$&*Sha-zaam/cuss word &*(&%%# Girl, i'm not funny but if I were a man...She and my mom started laughing. I guess I did get fine after all, lol. All the attention was very overwhelming for me and I stopped exercising.
Since I have been reading The Word, I do realize Yah does not want me to eat a lot. I have been working on controlling my appetite. I got some yoga-pilates books last week. I will be bringing cardio back too. But, I will not be going 7 miles anymore. I wore my feet/ankles out, lost a toe nail (it grew back), and wore out many pairs of sneakers, lol!
My weight loss is getting noticeable now. A female gave me a back-handed complement last week. She said she knows some girl at work with a smaller waist and bigger (rounder,higher) posterior than mine. I don't know where that comment came from, lol. I changed the subject on her. You see the comments have already begun.
Something that I can do to help my faith grow: I try to read His Word daily in one way or another.
Shonta
I'm about to go on my third one mile walk this week. I have been going very early because it's sweltering here. I did pilates four times this week and it had my abs sore. I'm still monitoring my appetite.
Shonta
Last week I walked and did pilates at separate times. This week I exercised differently. After my aerobic walk (1 mile) I immediately did pilates, while my metabolism was still ignited. I exercised four times this week. Next week, I'm going to crank it up a notch!
This evening at sunset I will begin fasting until sunset of the Sabbath (Shabbat, Saturday) with no water, nothing. Praise Yah
Shonta
Monday I did 1 mile & pilates as usual. Tuesday & Wednesday I did 2 miles. I didn't do pilates because I was exhausted! I did not exercise yesterday because I didn't feel well. I only did 1 mile today because I still don't feel 100%. I think all this exercising is moving toxins out of my body. I will be fasting Saturday morning when I get up until Saturday sunset. Praise Yah in the name of Yahoshua. ~Shonta
This week I walked five days (one mile). After walking, I did pilates (four times)with ten pound leg weights. The leg weights really made my abs and legs hurt, the first two days. I had to exercise slower. Next week, Monday, I will be focusing on improving my endurance. Walking longer and harder. ~Shonta
Monday I walked one mile. Tuesday two miles. Wednesday I walked six miles (round trip)! Lol, I was drenched in sweat. I walked from my house to the local CVS drugstore. Later that day we checked using the odometer. I thought the most I had ever walked was seven miles (going a different route) but I think I calculated wrong. I know going to CVS is shorter than another route I use to walk. So that other route most be longer seven miles (round trip). I'm going to check with the odometer at another time.
Today, I walked one mile. Tomorrow I am not walking. I am helping my mother paint the living room.
Shonta
This week I walked 15 miles! Cue the Rocky movie music, la-la-laaaa, la-la-laaaa! ummm, never mind.
I walked 1 mile Monday, Wednesday and today and 6 miles on Tuesday and Thursday. Yesterday on the way back from walking, I saw a sister doing aerobic walking with her ipod in her armband. That made me remember that I have a brand new pink Zune still in its box. A birthday gift from 2008. It's still in the box because I don't know how to put music in it. Music is in it but I don't like most of the songs. I need to learn how to put music in it, so I can walk faster. lol
Yah Bless,
Shonta
*The Zune was a gift from my sister as a thank you for tutoring her children. I helped them pass their state tests and make honor roll. People at school were praising them so she wanted to thank me.
Shonta
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