It’s easy for Christians to fall into a rut: Church is a thing you do, prayer is a box to check, and faith seems far from “the real world.” This fall we let Jesus himself confront our ruts. “Do you believe this?” he asks (Jn. 11:26).
To believe in Jesus is to experience him. It’s more than logic, argument, and doctrine. It is intimate knowledge of God himself. This fall, let Jesus himself speak to you in his seven “I AM” statements in the gospel of John. How is he changing you? What response is he inspiring in you? To believe in him changes everything.
Invocation
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Ponder:
Today we ponder the I AM statement: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” What things does our world hunger and thirst for? What longings do you have in your life right now? Ponder how Jesus is the Bread of Life, and how he satisfies all our unmet longing.
Word
John 14:5
“Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’”
Meditation: Reaching Your Goal by Anna Jacob
I was six years old when I fell in love with dolphins during our family summer vacation to Sea World. In school, I later learned that marine biologists got to work with dolphins. My mind was made up then that I would be a marine biologist. This would be my way to work with dolphins. I would follow the steps needed to achieve my dream: graduate high school, earn a degree in Marine Biology, and work with dolphins. It all seemed so simple.
Spoiler alert, I am not a marine biologist.
Though I eventually grew out of my obsession with dolphins, I was still determined to work with marine mammals. This led me to a small state school in Maine where I began my undergraduate work in marine biology. The harsh reality of this career path (most marine biologists did not indeed work directly with animals) became more apparent during that first year of college. I began to doubt if this was the right degree for me.
I began to envision another way for me to achieve my goal. And many years later, I came pretty close to achieving it.
There isn’t a step-by-step instruction for us to follow Jesus. Instead, he comes to us. We don’t need to achieve perfection. We don’t need to follow the plan perfectly because we can’t. We can try, but we will fail. But failure is not the end. Jesus has completed his mission. He is perfection personified and through his life and resurrection we can follow his way. We can practice the things he showed us and told us in the Bible. And through our relationship with him, we receive forgiveness.
There were many times as a young professional that I felt I had failed my career. I needed to be in a certain position at a certain place and I needed to be there when I felt it was right. In hindsight, I can see how impatient I was. People often told me I had time, but I refused to heed their advice. I had followed all the steps. I should be on the right path. Why had I not gotten where I wanted to go?
Looking back, it is easy to see God’s hand working through my strong willed desires as he brought me to a better place than even I could have planned for myself. It turns out that he had another path for me to follow. And hopefully, I have learned a few things along the way.
Sometimes, we may not know where God is leading us. We may feel like Thomas, confused on how to follow. That is where belief comes in. We trust in a God that has gone where none of us hope to follow in order that we may join him one day in eternal life.
With Jesus, he wants us there at the end. It’s the ultimate goal to be in heaven with him. But it’s not just the end goal. God has a vision for your life. It’s better than you can imagine. It’s important to not spend too much time looking at the destination and miss the journey that is life along the way. Maybe a little cliche, but it bears truth. Jesus wants a relationship with us and along the way he leads us to the father. He offers grace and forgiveness, he also brings life.
Dear Lord, thank you for being my way to forgiveness. With you, I know I do not have to walk the path of life alone. Help me to enjoy life as I journey towards the end. In your name I pray, Amen.
Prayer
Jesus, you said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” In this world, I am always longing for more. Satisfy my deepest hunger, not only for physical nourishment. I long to be fulfilled and joyful. I find that only in you. So be the true bread of my life, and fill me up. Amen.
Benediction
May the grace of the Lord Jesus sanctify us and keep us from all evil; may he drive far from us all hurtful things; may he bind us to himself by the bond of love, and may his peace abound in our hearts. Amen.