Why I love Bread
One of my best memories growing up, was going to a mall in Erie, PA. I lived in a tiny, tiny town, so Erie was huge and the had a huge mall. So many stores, so much to look at, but there was one thing that was my absolute favorite.
The smell…
I know what you are thinking already. The smell?! What’s the matter with this guy?
Please don’t run away! Give me a minute, ok?
We lived about 45 minutes from Erie at that time, and sometimes we would travel over in the dead of winter. Winter was deep, cold, and heavily snowed most years. Driving could be sketchy at best, but sometimes you just got to get out and go places. Driving 45 minutes is not that long now as an adult, but as a kid, sometimes that drive seemed to take forever. I would just sit in the back seat watching the trees whip on by, counting the moments until we got there.
We always pulled into the same part of the parking lot, so we could go through our favorite entrance. As soon as I saw the parking lot, excitement would start flowing through my veins and the wiggles could barely be contained.
As we walked up to our favorite entrance, that incredible, wonderful smell waved over my nose with a gentleness and comfort that only warm baking bread could do. It smelled SOOO GOOD! My favorite bakery was at it again. The smell seemed to dance through the air and give you a gentle kiss on the cheek. It was especially aromatic on those deep winter, snowy days. It called out to me: “Come on in, your belly will be so thankful.” I always knew the bread was right. It would make me happy and I would be thankful. ????
The feeling of full belly on a cold day can bring us such a sense of comfort and contentment. Freshly baked, warm bread, with a gentle pad of butter slowly melting on it, can bring a sense of well-being without even taking a bite. Now listen, if we ever meet and eat warm bread together, you better not just sit there and smell it, because I can be dangerous around all bake goods. No holds barred when it smells this good.
So why all the talk about warm bread?
Well, I was recently reminiscing about those childhood memories, when a thought went through my mind. Jesus call Himself the Bread of Life. That’s a unique name He spoke about Himself and no one else has that name. Why the Bread of Life?
Well, just like I was talking about the great comforting feeling warm bread on a cold day can bring, Jesus wants to be our comfort.
He REALLY does!
Bread is something that takes time to eat. It’s not an energy drink you pound, or a coffee you drink quick as you rush to work. Any of us would look silly eating bread quick, crumbs on our face and butter down our chin. No, we sit and take time to eat bread, just like Jesus is beckoning us to sit and take time with Him. We savor bread whether it is in a sandwich or stand alone. It has its own taste apart from everything else, and enjoying it is simple.
We live busy lives, and many times we can use the word “busy” as a reason for why we don’t take the time to savor our Savior. We are always missing out when we do that.
Jesus is not in a rush to craft, and redeem our soul. He told the story of His first coming over hundreds of years. If He took that long to tell the story of His first coming, so that we could have the opportunity to live with Him forever, why are we in such a hurry to not sit and listen to what He has to say each day about our lives? True food for thought…
Jesus also called Himself the Bread of Life, because He came from Heaven to bring a better way to live. This world is not our home. As this world leans deeper into darkness, our “comfort on a cold day” should be being still and knowing that Jesus is God. He really just wants us to spend time with Him. Intimate time, real time, where we let Him have all our heart and all our attention. This is how we savor the Bread that He is.
He is also the Word of God and we spend way too little time “eating the Bread of Life”, by reading the Word of God. The Word of God changes our thinking, heals our soul, directs our spirit, and builds our eternal purpose. That a really good, assured return on investment.
When Jesus returns, He returns as The Word of God, Faithful and True. In an unfaithful, cold to intimacy world, that’s a powerful way Christ is returning. He already knew and prophesied the condition the world would be in hundreds of years before.
He wants all our attention and all our heart.
Let us all be found eating His bread and savoring it too, upon He wonderful return.
Much Love,
Scott
“Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”-John 6:32-35 NKJV
“Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.” -Revelation 19:11-13 NKJV
