November 24, 2024

This Week…I AM The Bread of Life (John 6:25-35)

March 7, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Recorded in the Gospel of John, our Lord made seven statements referring to Himself as I AM…

I AM The Light of the World
I AM The Bread of Life
I AM The Door
I AM The Good Shepherd
I AM The True Vine
I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life
I AM The Resurrection and The Life

Each week during this season of Lent, here on the Seeking Him blog, we will be focusing our devotionals on a different aspect of Jesus’ revelation of Himself as I AM.  The aim of Lent should be to prepare our hearts for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice—His trial and torture, the Crucifixion and His death…and above all, the celebration of His Resurrection from the dead.  We pray that this will be a great encouragement to each of you who read them.  And that all of us will consider the significance of Jesus’ words and, through them, be helped as we remember and are thankful for all Jesus went through during the last few weeks of His life on this earth.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

This week, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have had the joy of being reminded of our Lord’s words in John chapter 6.

When they found Him on the other side of the lake, they asked Him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for Me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.
Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life,which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One he has sent.”
So they asked Him, “What sign then will You give that we may see it and believe You?  What will You do?
Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from Heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the True Bread from Heaven.
For the Bread of God is the bread that comes down from Heaven and gives life to the world.”
“Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”
Then Jesus declared, “I AM the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.

Verses 25-35

What promises!!!  To know that if we follow Him—The Bread of Life—for eternity we will never spiritually hunger or thirst!  Our devotional writers—Tina, Laura, Cynda, Ann, and Ahmee—have shared some great truths with us this week.  Here are a few highlights….

In The Bread That Quenches Thirst and Hunger, Ahmee reminded us that Jesus is the provision of all that we need:

“Jesus says that He is our Light and that He will lead us in this life we live.  Jesus also says that He is the Bread of Life.  Not only does He light our paths, but He sustains us spiritually.

Everyone is searching for something.  We all are missing something in our lives. We all have a hunger/thirst that only the Lord can fill.  That is how we were made to be. God being the total Provider that He is, made provision for us to have all that we need.  In Jesus, God gave us so much.”

…this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches,
which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19

❦

In Eternal or Temporary, Cynda drew our attention to a few points from this passage:

“As I was reading this passage, three key points struck me:

  1. The Bread of Life never perishes (John 6:27) whereas material things perish and earthly food spoils.
  2. The Bread of Life is given by God and comes down from Heaven (John 6:32-33). It is a gift freely given whereas we must work to provide food for ourselves. Our food comes from farms and companies that don’t always have our health or best interests at heart. The Divine Bread always gives us the very best.
  3. The Bread of Life gives life to the world. It is spiritual sustenance for our souls. Physical food supports our earthly bodies temporarily. The Bread of Life provides for us eternally.”

❦

In Hunger for the Word of God, Tina reminded us of the great importance of a devotional or quiet time set apart each day to seek God through His Word.

“By asking for God to enter into our devotional/quiet time, you are inviting the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart.  By allowing the Holy Spirit to be with you, God has the opportunity to speak life into the areas of your life which are closed or where truth and healing can begin.  Trust in God and have faith so He can bring new life.  Let the bread of His Word feed your soul and renew you. ”

❦

In Slice of Life, Laura shared some of the words of Jesus to the  apostles during the Last Supper.

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying,
“This is My body given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying,
“This cup is the New Covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.”
Luke 22:19-20

“When Jesus attended the last supper, He gave the twelve disciples a piece of Himself through communion with Him.  He would give the rest of Himself to everybody through His death on the Cross.  He would become the Bread needed to have eternal life.”

❦

In The Word Is Life, Ann reminded us that Jesus is the Living Word.

Jesus is the Living Word and the Bible is the written Word.  Jesus call Himself the Bread of Life and elsewhere He relates this bread to the Word of God:

Man does not live by bread alone
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Matthew 4:4

Therefore we eat His flesh by remaining in Him and by receiving and obeying the Word of God.

 

❦

Have you had the opportunity to read through each of these blogposts this week?  If not, I would encourage you to do so!  Our bloggers have made these as well as some other wonderful points to direct us towards Jesus, Who IS The Bread of Life.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Word is Life

March 6, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Recorded in the Gospel of John, our Lord made seven statements referring to Himself as I AM…

I AM The Light of the World
I AM The Bread of Life
I AM The Door
I AM The Good Shepherd
I AM The True Vine
I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life
I AM The Resurrection and The Life

Each week during this season of Lent, here on the Seeking Him blog, we will be focusing our devotionals on a different aspect of Jesus’ revelation of Himself as I AM.  The aim of Lent should be to prepare our hearts for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice—His trial and torture, the Crucifixion and His death…and above all, the celebration of His Resurrection from the dead.  We pray that this will be a great encouragement to each of you who read them.  And that all of us will consider the significance of Jesus’ words and, through them, be helped as we remember and are thankful for all Jesus went through during the last few weeks of His life on this earth.

Then Jesus declared, “I AM the Bread of Life.
Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry,
and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.
John 6:35

(context)

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

‘I AM the Bread of Life‘ is the first of the seven I AM statements recorded in John’s gospel.  Each of the I AMs emphasizes an important aspect of the personal ministry of Jesus.  This first statement tells us that Christ is the sustenance that nourishes spiritual life.

Jesus said… “I tell you the truth
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man
and drink His blood you have no life.”
John 6:53

We receive spiritual life by believing in Christ and sharing in the redemptive benefits of His death on the Cross (Romans 3:24-25, 1 John 1:7).  We continue to have spiritual life as we remain in fellowship with Christ and His Word. (Compare John 6:53 and 63).

“…the words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.”
Verse 63

Thus we partake of Christ as we continue to have faith in Him and prayerfully receive His Word.

Jesus is the Living Word and the Bible is the written Word.  Jesus call Himself the Bread of Life and elsewhere He relates this bread to the Word of God:

Man does not live by bread alone
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Matthew 4:4

Therefore we eat His flesh by remaining in Him and by receiving and obeying the Word of God.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Father, we thank You for Your goodness and mercy that follows us all the days of our lives.  We thank You because You are not man that You can lie nor son of man that You can change Your mind…what You say You will do, surely You will do it.  We thank You for the grace to reunite us with Christ.  Give us the grace, Lord, to obey and absorb what is truth in our hearts.  May Your name be glorified.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Bread that Quenches Hunger and Thirst

March 5, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Recorded in the Gospel of John, our Lord made seven statements referring to Himself as I AM…

I AM The Light of the World
I AM The Bread of Life
I AM The Door
I AM The Good Shepherd
I AM The True Vine
I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life
I AM The Resurrection and The Life

Each week during this season of Lent, here on the Seeking Him blog, we will be focusing our devotionals on a different aspect of Jesus’ revelation of Himself as I AM.  The aim of Lent should be to prepare our hearts for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice—His trial and torture, the Crucifixion and His death…and above all, the celebration of His Resurrection from the dead.  We pray that this will be a great encouragement to each of you who read them.  And that all of us will consider the significance of Jesus’ words and, through them, be helped as we remember and are thankful for all Jesus went through during the last few weeks of His life on this earth.

Then Jesus declared, “I AM the Bread of Life.
Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry,
and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.
John 6:35

(context)

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Jesus says that He is our Light and that He will lead us in this life we live.  Jesus also says that He is the Bread of Life.  Not only does He light our paths, but He sustains us spiritually.

Everyone is searching for something.  We all are missing something in our lives. We all have a hunger/thirst that only the Lord can fill.  That is how we were made to be. God being the total Provider that He is, made provision for us to have all that we need.  In Jesus, God gave us so much.

…this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches,
which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19

Many people search high and low to fill a longing that they do not understand. Even as Christians we can sometimes forget that we already have all that we need in Jesus. We can often fall into the trap of relying on our money or our jobs or our friends or our family to help us feel better about ourselves or the things happening in our lives. We find comfort and show pride in the things we have accomplished. Nothing wrong with comfort and pride, but when we lean on it as if it is our Rock…that is where we run into problems. Comfort and achievements can disappear just as quickly as they arrived. The only “thing” we can trust to never change is Jesus. He will always provide for us what we need…always.

Psalms 136: 23-26 reminds us of the Lord’s awesome provision and our need to give thanks to Him for His amazingness.

He remembered our utter weakness. His faithful love endures forever.
He saved us from our enemies. His faithful love endures forever.
He gives food to every living thing. His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, You are all that we need. I thank You that we do not have to go searching through worldly things to find what fills our hearts’ desire. You are enough. You will always be enough. Let us remember that YOU are the Bread of Life. Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Eternal or Temporary

March 3, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Recorded in the Gospel of John, our Lord made seven statements referring to Himself as I AM…

I AM The Light of the World
I AM The Bread of Life
I AM The Door
I AM The Good Shepherd
I AM The True Vine
I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life
I AM The Resurrection and The Life

Each week during this season of Lent, here on the Seeking Him blog, we will be focusing our devotionals on a different aspect of Jesus’ revelation of Himself as I AM.  The aim of Lent should be to prepare our hearts for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice—His trial and torture, the Crucifixion and His death…and above all, the celebration of His Resurrection from the dead.  We pray that this will be a great encouragement to each of you who read them.  And that all of us will consider the significance of Jesus’ words and, through them, be helped as we remember and are thankful for all Jesus went through during the last few weeks of His life on this earth.

“I AM the Bread of Life,” Jesus told them.
“No one who comes to Me will ever be hungry,
and no one who believes in Me will ever be thirsty again.”
John 6:35 HCSB

(context)

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Wouldn’t that be amazing? To never be physically hungry or thirsty again? I struggle to keep myself at a healthy weight. It gets harder as the years roll by. Both 1 Corinthians 6:12 and 1 Corinthians 10:23 tell me that while everything is permissible, not everything is beneficial. As I grow older, more and more things are less and less beneficial. While I will continue to deal with physical hunger and thirst, the same does not have to be true spiritually.

As I was reading this passage, three key points struck me:

  1. The Bread of Life never perishes (John 6:27) whereas material things perish and earthly food spoils.
  2. The Bread of Life is given by God and comes down from Heaven (John 6:32-33). It is a gift freely given whereas we must work to provide food for ourselves. Our food comes from farms and companies that don’t always have our health or best interests at heart. The Divine Bread always gives us the very best.
  3. The Bread of Life gives life to the world. It is spiritual sustenance for our souls. Physical food supports our earthly bodies temporarily. The Bread of Life provides for us eternally.

If only I desired the Bread of Life as much as I desire my favorite foods! Matthew 6:33 (NLT) says we are to “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.” The Greek word in this verse for ‘seek’ is zeteo (dzay-teh-o). One of the meanings for this word is ‘to crave’. We are made to crave God. When we do, He provides everything we need.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Lord, thank You so much for being the Bread of Life. Help me crave You more than anything else. Remind me to focus on the eternal rather than the temporary. In Your Holy Name, Amen – It Is So!

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Hunger for the Word of God

March 2, 2015 by

Recorded in the Gospel of John, our Lord made seven statements referring to Himself as I AM…

I AM The Light of the World
I AM The Bread of Life
I AM The Door
I AM The Good Shepherd
I AM The True Vine
I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life
I AM The Resurrection and The Life

Each week during this season of Lent, here on the Seeking Him blog, we will be focusing our devotionals on a different aspect of Jesus’ revelation of Himself as I AM.  The aim of Lent should be to prepare our hearts for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice—His trial and torture, the Crucifixion and His death…and above all, the celebration of His Resurrection from the dead.  We pray that this will be a great encouragement to each of you who read them.  And that all of us will consider the significance of Jesus’ words and, through them, be helped as we remember and are thankful for all Jesus went through during the last few weeks of His life on this earth.

Jesus said to them,
“I AM the Bread of Life;
whoever comes to Me shall not hunger,
and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst.”
John 6:35 ESV

(context)

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

How many times have we heard a great teaching in which we know we need to align areas in our lives with what God teaches us? …Many times.  We start really strong spending time with God, reading His Word, praying, listening to only uplifting music.  Then we allow other things to take up that time.  Work may get into our devotional time, household duties may get in the way.  We need to develop a covetous attitude toward our time with God.

Here are some ways to do this:

  • Let those in your household know you need some quiet time to spend studying or meditating.
  • Go to an area where you can concentrate.
  • Choose a specific timeframe…it may be early in the morning,  later in the afternoon, or late in the evening.
  • Start out intending to spend 10 minutes a day. You will be amazed how much time God will grant back to you. Eventually you will be able to increase your time to 15, 20, 30 minutes a day.
  • Be obedient to learning God’s ways.

By asking for God to enter into our devotional/quiet time, you are inviting the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart.  By allowing the Holy Spirit to be with you, God has the opportunity to speak life into the areas of your life which are closed or where truth and healing can begin.  Trust in God and have faith so He can bring new life.  Let the bread of his Word feed your soul and renew you.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Father, thank You for Your love that never fails us. You know what we need and how to help us achieve what is best for Your Kingdom. Help us get out of the way and allow Your Holy Spirit to work in us. Help us to see self-pity is not from us. Help us to focus on others’ needs in a healthy way.  We can do this with Your guidance.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

I AM The Bread of Life

March 1, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Recorded in the Gospel of John, our Lord made seven statements referring to Himself as I AM…

I AM The Light of the World
I AM The Bread of Life
I AM The Door
I AM The Good Shepherd
I AM The True Vine
I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life
I AM The Resurrection and The Life

Each week during this season of Lent, here on the Seeking Him blog, we will be focusing our devotionals on a different aspect of Jesus’ revelation of Himself as I AM.  The aim of Lent should be to prepare our hearts for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice—His trial and torture, the Crucifixion and His death…and above all, the celebration of His Resurrection from the dead.  We pray that this will be a great encouragement to each of you who read them.  And that all of us will consider the significance of Jesus’ words and, through them, be helped as we remember and are thankful for all Jesus went through during the last few weeks of His life on this earth.

Then Jesus declared, “I AM the Bread of Life.
Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry,
and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.
John 6:35 (context)

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

as you prepare to hear this song,
may i suggest you close your eyes and listen to the words of Jesus   ♥

I AM the Bread of Life
All who eat this Bread will never die

I am God’s Love revealed
I am broken that you might be healed

All who eat of this Heavenly Bread
All who drink this cup of the Covenant
You will live forever
For I will raise you up

I AM the Bread of Life
All who eat this bread will never die

No one who comes to Me shall hunger again
No one who believes shall ever thirst
All that the Father draws
Shall come to Me
And I shall give them rest

I AM the Bread of Life
All who eat this bread will never die

 Singer/Songwriter:  John Michael Talbot

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This Week…I AM The Light of the World (John 8:12)

February 28, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Recorded in the Gospel of John, our Lord made seven statements referring to Himself as I AM…

I AM The Light of the World
I AM The Good Shepherd
I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life
I AM The Bread of Life
I AM The True Vine
I AM The Door
I AM The Resurrection and the Life

Each week during this season of Lent, here on the Seeking Him blog, we will be focusing our devotionals on a different aspect of Jesus’ revelation of Himself as I AM. The aim of Lent should be to prepare our hearts for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice—His trial and torture, the Crucifixion and His death…and above all, the celebration of His Resurrection from the dead. We pray that this will be a great encouragement to each of you who read them. And that all of us will consider the significance of Jesus’ words and, through them, be helped as we remember and are thankful for all Jesus went through during the last few weeks of His life on this earth.

Once more Jesus addressed the crowd.
He said, I AM the Light of the world.
He who follows Me will not be walking in the dark,
But will have the Light which is Life.
John 8:12

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

This week, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have had the joy of being reminded of our Lord’s words in John 8:12.  What encouragement to hold to His promise that if we follow Him—the Light of the World—we will not walk in the dark and will have the Light which is Life!

Please listen to some highlights of what Tina, Laura, Cynda, Ann, and Ahmee……….

In I AM the Light of the World, Ann drew some parallels between what physical light IS and what Jesus, as the Light of the World, IS:

“Now Jesus is coming to tell us that He is THE Light of the world, what does that mean? This means:

  • He removes darkness and deception by illuminating the right way to God and salvation.
  • All those who follow Jesus are delivered from the darkness of sin, the world, and Satan. Those who still walk in darkness do not follow Him (John 1:6-7).
  • “Whoever follows Me…” is a present participle, depicting a continuing action—“whoever keeps on following Me…”. Jesus recognized and requires only a persevering discipleship.

Now physical light travels faster than sound, so therefore Jesus must travel fast, therefore people should receive Him in no time since He will brighten their lives immediately.”

❦

In Eternal Flashlight, Laura shared these points….

“When we accept Christ into our lives, the light is turned on for us.  We are brought out from the darkness and into the Light of Jesus.  When we decide to follow Jesus, we are no longer in the dark but are walking in the Light.  Jesus’s Light is eternal and ever-present in those who have accepted Him.  As long as we follow His Light, we will be healed and comforted.  We will not walk in darkness.  We will have life.”

❦

In Light of Lights, Cynda reminded us of the light that God provided to the children of Israel…and the relation to Jesus being our Light.

“One of the most important symbols of light in the Old Testament is the pillar of fire.  The pillar of fire is mentioned in Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Nehemiah, Psalms and Revelations.

Nehemiah 9:12 (NASB) states:

…with a pillar of fire by night to light for them the way in which they were to go.

That is what Christ does for us, He illuminates the way for us to go…IF we choose to follow. I love how John 12:46 (NLT) puts it:

‘I have come as a Light to shine in this dark world,
so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the dark.'”

❦

In Jesus IS The Light, Tina reminded us of God’s faithfulness.

Always know that God is watchful over us.  He knows our comings and goings, He knows our needs now, just as then.  He will always be a Light to us in our world. When we seek His ways and obey His words we will have His Light in all areas of our minds. We will never have those dark places unless we let it back in.

❦

In Follow The Light, Ahmee also encouraged us to remember to follow…

“…Jesus is important to us; especially when it comes to navigating this dark world.  We do not have to aimlessly wonder around the world, merely existing and lost.  God will show us what we need to do.  God will show us where we need to be.  The key is to follow Him.  If God goes left and we go right, are we really following Him?  No.  Therefore, if He is not in the lead, then our Light is not in front of us, we cannot see.  We must face the Light at all times, and stay with Him for the Light to be of use to us.

Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105

We have no reason to wander.  No reason to be scared.  With one simple action we can help ourselves.  Follow the Light.  He will lead you.”

❦

Have you had the opportunity to read through each of these blogposts this week?  If not, I would encourage you to do so!  Our bloggers have made these as well as some other wonderful points to direct us towards Jesus, Who is The Light of the World.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Follow the Light

February 27, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Recorded in the Gospel of John, our Lord made seven statements referring to Himself as I AM…

I AM The Light of the World
I AM The Good Shepherd
I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life
I AM The Bread of Life
I AM The True Vine
I AM The Door
I AM The Resurrection and the Life

Each week during this season of Lent, here on the Seeking Him blog, we will be focusing our devotionals on a different aspect of Jesus’ revelation of Himself as I AM. The aim of Lent should be to prepare our hearts for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice—His trial and torture, the Crucifixion and His death…and above all, the celebration of His Resurrection from the dead.  We pray that this will be a great encouragement to each of you who read them.  And that all of us will consider the significance of Jesus’ words and, through them, be helped as we remember and are thankful for all Jesus went through during the last few weeks of His life on this earth.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I AM the Light of the world.
Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness
but will have the Light of life.”
John 8:12

God makes a lot of promises and (unlike human promises) He keeps each one.  God created the very things we need to sustain physical life.  We find our purpose in this God.  We are meant to live our lives for this God.  Everything we are, and everything we will be, should be for Him and His glory.

The Bible is about this God we don’t see, but Who we can know oh, so intimately.  We have the privilege of getting to know the Creator of the world.  He tells us very clearly all about Himself in His “I AM” statements.  Thankfully, we don’t have to guess about the Lord of all Creation.

Jesus said He is the Light of the World.  Light emphasizes the details of things and promotes clarity.  We spend a majority of our time in the light.  During the day we have the sun, during the night we have electricity.  Most people don’t just sit in the dark.  If they do, typically something is wrong.  I don’t like the light when I have a migraine because it’s too bright and makes the pain worse.  When people are sad or depressed you might find them sitting in the dark.  People refer to bad times as “dark times.”

Light is important to us.  Jesus said He is the Light of the World. Therefore, Jesus is important to us; especially when it comes to navigating this dark world.  We do not have to aimlessly wonder around the world, merely existing and lost.  God will show us what we need to do.  God will show us where we need to be.  The key is to follow Him.  If God goes left and we go right, are we really following Him?  No.  Therefore, if He is not in the lead, then our Light is not in front of us, we cannot see.  We must face the Light at all times, and stay with Him for the Light to be of use to us.

Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105

We have no reason to wander.  No reason to be scared.  With one simple action we can help ourselves.  Follow the Light.  He will lead you.

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Jesus is the Light

February 26, 2015 by

SeekingHimLogo

Recorded in the Gospel of John, our Lord made seven statements referring to Himself as I AM…

I AM The Light of the World
I AM The Good Shepherd
I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life
I AM The Bread of Life
I AM The True Vine
I AM The Door
I AM The Resurrection and the Life

Each week during this season of Lent, here on the Seeking Him blog, we will be focusing our devotionals on a different aspect of Jesus’ revelation of Himself as I AM. The aim of Lent should be to prepare our hearts for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice—His trial and torture, the Crucifixion and His death…and above all, the celebration of His Resurrection from the dead.  We pray that this will be a great encouragement to each of you who read them.  And that all of us will consider the significance of Jesus’ words and, through them, be helped as we remember and are thankful for all Jesus went through during the last few weeks of His life on this earth.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   * 

Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I AM the Light of the world.
Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness
but will have the Light of life.”
John 8:12

Jesus had just finished speaking to the crowd about the woman caught in adultery. He knew that the Pharisees were always looking for a way to trap Him and wanted to find a way to discredit Him before the people.  Only Jesus knew what they were trying to do.

Jesus, with the help of the Holy Spirit, is given wisdom to know what is going on.  While on earth, Jesus wanted to teach His people all that He could in the short time He was here. He knew how burdensome the Pharisees, Saducees and Scribes would make life to live.  With all of the man-made rules on top of what was in the Old Testament, it was such a burden for the people at Jesus’ time.

Now Jesus spoke about the ‘yoke’ the rulers and lawyers had created for the people.  God, as always, sees and hears about our lives here on earth, that is why He sent His Son Jesus when He did. He knew then was the right time for His Son to liberate His chosen people.  And also, when they did not receive, then it was time for the Gentiles to hear and receive the wonderful news about Jesus.

Always know that God is watchful over us. He knows our comings and goings, He knows our needs now, just as then. He will always be a Light to us in our world. When we seek His ways and obey His words we will have Light in all areas of our minds. We will never have those dark places unless we let it back in.

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Father, help us keep our focus on You. We want to have Your Light in our hearts at all times. Help us know how to keep Your Light within us, not focus on the darkness. Bring into our lives those that You know will help us to seek You more.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

I AM The Light of the World

February 25, 2015 by

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Recorded in the Gospel of John, our Lord made seven statements referring to Himself as I AM…

I AM The Light of the World
I AM The Good Shepherd
I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life
I AM The Bread of Life
I AM The True Vine
I AM The Door
I AM The Resurrection and the Life

Each week during this season of Lent, here on the Seeking Him blog, we will be focusing our devotionals on a different aspect of Jesus’ revelation of Himself as I AM. The aim of Lent should be to prepare our hearts for the remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice—His trial and torture, the Crucifixion and His death…and above all, the celebration of His Resurrection from the dead.  We pray that this will be a great encouragement to each of you who read them.  And that all of us will consider the significance of Jesus’ words and, through them, be helped as we remember and are thankful for all Jesus went through during the last few weeks of His life on this earth.

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Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I AM the Light of the world.
Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness
but will have the Light of life.”
John 8:12

First of all, let us look at a few principles of light:

What is it?
Light usually refers to visible light, which is electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye and is responsible for the sense of sight.

How does light travels?
One of light‘s characteristic properties is that, in a transparent medium like air, glass, or still water, it travels in a straight line. Light exhibits characteristics of both waves and particles, the latter of which are described as packets of energy called photons.

What is the purpose of light?
— Brightens
— Illuminates
— Enlightens

Now Jesus is coming to tell us that He is THE Light of the world, what does that mean? This means:

  • He removes darkness and deception by illuminating the right way to God and salvation.
  • All those who follow Jesus are delivered from the darkness of sin, the world, and Satan. Those who still walk in darkness do not follow Him (John 1:6-7).
  • “Whoever follows Me…” is a present participle, depicting a continuing action—“whoever keeps on following Me…”. Jesus recognized and requires only a persevering discipleship.

Now physical light travels faster than sound, so therefore Jesus must travel fast, therefore people should receive Him in no time since He will brighten their lives immediately.

As believers today we count ourselves lucky to have this Light in us but the question will be do we actually realize we have this Light? I AM is in present tense meaning the Light is always there even though it’s more than 2000 years ago Jesus went to Heaven.  But remember this—

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved,
that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years,
and a thousand years as one day.
2 Peter 3:8

Therefore the Light is still fresh in us. We must let it shine in our lives. And as it brightens in us…as it illuminates us…as it lightens or shines in us…we should also light the world for we are carrying The Light.  Let us reflect Who and what we are carrying so that we do not mislead people into following us.  This Light (Jesus) brings light to darkness therefore wherever we are there should be a sign that, indeed, the Light of the world is there.  May those that are in despair find relief and those that are in darkness find Light and Life again.

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Father, hallowed be Thy name.  Lord, make me realize that I am carrying the Light of the world and so I am the Light, too.  Let this Light be hope to the hopeless, life to the dying, illumination to darkness and peoples’ lives.  Let my deeds and my character be that of Christ…for I am His follower.  In Jesus’ name, I pray.  Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
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