MIDWEEK MEDITATION

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

John 6:35-40

God is pleased with me today because…

The passionate, religious, committed crowd that followed Jesus around the lake came to Him with that unfinished sentence. They didn’t know what they were asking it, but it was the question that was on their hearts and minds... 

“What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom he has sent.”

Just believe? It sounded too easy. What about being a good person, obeying the law, or faithfully attending the temple services? It sounded too easy because they believed they needed to live up to a certain moral standard for God to accept them. 

The hard reality they faced is the same reality we face today: no one is good enough to impress God. Their pride in their own moral lifestyle and religious commitment became a barrier to them accepting the true life that Jesus had to offer. He called them to exchange their self-righteousness for His righteousness. He wants us to do the same, repenting of anything (good works included!) that we are trusting in to make us right before God outside of the gospel of Jesus Christ. What are you trusting in today?

God is pleased with me today because…

How you finish that sentence will radically change your day, your week, your life, and beyond.

Father, I repent of any self-righteousness. I confess that I am only made right before you because of the work of Jesus Christ on my behalf. Give me grace to live out of your life in and through me.