Working for food that spoils

The things that I have often been encouraged to pursue, are frequently not the things that the Lord wants me to spend my time and energy on. Maybe you have come to the same realization about yourself. An interesting series of events takes place in John Chapter 6. In that chapter, we are given the accounts of Jesus feeding the 5,000 and then walking on water.

The things that I have often been encouraged to pursue, are frequently not the things that the Lord wants me to spend my time and energy on. Maybe you have come to the same realization about yourself. An interesting series of events takes place in John Chapter 6. In that chapter, we are given the accounts of Jesus feeding the 5,000 and then walking on water.

After Jesus had miraculously fed thousands of people, they purposed among themselves to make Him king by force. Knowing that this was their intent, Jesus withdrew from the crowd. Later in the chapter, when He was approached by the crowd who had been looking for Him, He exposed their true reasons and motivation for searching for Him. They were merely looking for Him for selfish reasons. They sought Him out because He gave them food and filled their bellies. Essentially, the crowd was merely looking for the best of this world, but cared little about deeper, spiritual matters. Jesus encouraged them to "not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you." (John 6:27). Lest we be too critical of the people in that crowd, I believe that we often resemble them. How much of our time, energy and daydreaming is spent in the pursuit of "food that spoils." Instead of seeking ultimate satisfaction through our relationship with Jesus, we consume our lives and our schedules with the pursuit of things with little or no eternal value. Take a moment to think about your goals and ambitions. Take a quick peek at your upcoming schedule. What do you expect to fulfill the greatest longings of your soul? – John