Listen to this devotion
Starting Out – Staying Nourished
In the Word
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” (John 6:51).
Of the Word
A healthy lifestyle cannot be based on exercise alone. Not too many people would be inclined to eat a bag of chips or a pound of chocolate and then go for a run. Besides the stomachache that would slow you down, it doesn’t make sense to eat unhealthy food while trying to get healthy.
So what is the healthiest, most nourishing, and satisfying food we can eat? No fruit, vegetable, or even Greek yogurt can compare to the food God offers through His Son, Jesus Christ. This food is not the bread and fish Jesus used to feed the five thousand (Matthew 14:13–21), or the breakfast He prepared for His disciples after His resurrection (John 21:1–14). The life-sustaining food God gives us is Jesus Himself.
Jesus said “I am the living bread” (John 6:51a). In the Sacrament of the Altar, believers have the opportunity to partake of this food while receiving the benefits of the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. Christ’s body and blood sacrificed and given to us will not only give us strength to live a new earthly life, but it will continue to sustain us on through eternity.
Walking with my Lord
Heavenly Father, thank You for providing living bread through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Continue to nourish and sustain me through this life to life everlasting. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Mustard Seed: The Race of Faith. Author: Amanda Stacy, DCE. 2/28 ©2015 Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, 801 Seminary Place Ste. L010, St. Louis, MO 63105. Code: #40196
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations were taken from ESV Bible® (The Holy Bible English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
