The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”
Why do we search for God? What is it we desire from him? I grew up in a church that taught “the pursuit of God” as trying really hard to not do the wrong things. This sounds noble, but in the end is an empty way to live. It is life focused on the negative and a life lived in comparison to others. These followers of Jesus had lived with this model from the Pharisees for some time. Now Jesus came and preached a different way to live and did miracles and even fed them. It is almost like they were so hungry for the moment that changed their thinking; they wanted that moment over and over again. They wanted the perpetual “Mountaintop Experience”! Many live life this way today. They live for the extreme and plan for the next bucket list item. This too becomes empty over time. Here Jesus encourages them to seek after “food” that will last to eternal life. Jesus is an overflowing supply of this food, because he devotes himself to the Word of God — in fact, he is the Word of God. John 1:1 tells us: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (It goes on to equate The Word to Jesus.)
So we can try hard on our own strength to do God’s work, but we will fail. Or, we can believe in the one he has sent, Jesus Christ, and digest his spiritual body and live. When we dig into God’s Word (Jesus) and we apply it to our lives, we have connected OUR PASSION TO GOD’S POWER source and we live a life fulfilled no matter the current circumstances. Is life challenging or hard today? Do you feel isolated and/or beat down? I do sometimes. Let’s power through with The Word!