Hunger Is A Mindset

Rev. Orsella R. Cooper
John 6:27-40 (NRSV)
27Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.’ 28Then they said to him, ‘What must we do to perform the works of God?’ 29Jesus answered them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.’ 30So they said to him, ‘What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? 31Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, “He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” 32Then Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ 34They said to him, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’ 35 Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; 38for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. 39And this is the will of him who sent me that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.’
Key Verse: 35 “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

For some time now, we have been on this spiritual journey together to God’s heart by fasting and praying. Sure, you may have wanted to cheat a little here and there, but ultimately, we each understand to delight in the Lord is to fully trust Him at our weakest moments. Weak moments in our lives make us want more than we need. When we think we don’t have enough money, we want more. When we think we’re not getting enough out of a relationship, we want more. Whenever there’s a sense of emptiness, we look for ways to fulfill that emptiness with temporal things, feel good for a while just to return to emptiness.
Wanting more is usually the answer when we fail to trust God to meet our needs. In this scriptural passage, we find Jesus teaching the crowd not to rely on their physical hunger, but to learn how to live off the blessings that God gives, which will never allow them to be hungry. In order for this teaching to be effective in your life, you must believe His word is the only bread you need. With this level of faith, you’ll find yourself only looking at the needs that God has met versus the wants you thought you needed. It is at this point where the weight of worry will be lifted off your heart and you can begin to concentrate on His goodness. Today, don’t tease yourself with temporal wants, but focus on your spiritual needs and God will step in and take care of the rest.
Prayer: Lord, help me to ignore any and all physical hunger pains and rely on your word. Draw me nearer to your word where I can receive your direction for my life.

Rev. Orsella R. Cooper, Associate Minister
Bethel AME Church
110 Grove Street
Bridgeport, CT 06610