August 14 devotion - Looking for Jesus

John 6:24 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. (NIV)

            Quite recently, I was seeking an old recording of a conversation that some friends of mine had at a radio station several years ago. One of them had just died and I was wanting to hear his voice again, as well as the remarkable story of his life. I hunted high and low in my home, my study, my garage, and church office, but sadly I didn’t come across the CD. I know that it is somewhere safe and I’ll probably discover it when I’m looking for something else. Until then, I’ll just have to rely on the memories that I have of my friend and the good times that we shared.

            At the end of today’s Gospel passage (John 6:22-24), the people are looking for Jesus, but He is nowhere to be found. The previous day, He had miraculously fed 5000 people, which made the crowd want to make Him their king. When they discovered that Jesus had gone, they set out on their boats and sailed up to Capernaum where He usually resided. I’d like to think that they were looking for Christ for all of the right reasons, but I suspect that human nature being what it is, they were mostly looking for more miraculous food.

            This made me reflect on my own search for Jesus. Have I been seeking Him for all of the right reasons, or do I have some selfish desires that I want Him to fulfill? Am I looking to Christ to straighten out my problems, overcome my difficulties, and fix my issues, or I am I just humbly seeking to serve Him because He is my Lord and King? I hope and pray that it is more to do with the latter.

Point to ponder

Am I looking for Jesus to do something in my life or am I seeking to do something for Him?

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are the Lord of our lives and the King of all Creation. We are supposed to be Your servants and faithful followers. Help us to seek Your will in all that we accomplish and experience today. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can read the church website at www.erinpresbyterian.org. You can also email John with your questions, feedback, and thoughts at Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings called ‘Jazz4Jesus.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Jazz.

Turning Point - John 6:63-64

John 6:63-64 (Jesus said) “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” (NIV)

            It was a turning point in Christ’s ministry. For a while, many people followed Him because they expected Jesus to fulfill their own longings for their nation, people, and personal lives. Christ’s mission, however, was about fulfilling what God wanted, which ultimately meant some people would turn their backs on Jesus because He would not do what they expected. But Christ was adamant about what He was sent to do: His ministry had grown beyond their parochial expectations; Jesus had come to bring salvation to the entire world and not the restoration of an exalted Jewish State.

            Even today, some Christian people balk at Christ’s words: “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.” In a society that is obsessed with our physical well-being to the exclusion of our spiritual growth, what Jesus said is still difficult to accept. We spend so much of our earthly time and resources trying to keep our bodies healthy and pure that we tend to forget two things: a) we are not physically immortal and b) our spirits are eternal.

            Now I don’t think that Jesus would condemn us for looking after our earthly bodies – healthy eating and regular exercise are good for all of us – but I do think He would expect us to focus just as much on the health and well-being of our spirits as we do on our bodies. In the end, it’s not how we physically appear that is going to be important when we come face to face with God; it’s how well our spirits are connected to Him through Jesus that is going to be eternally important.

            So, perhaps next time that we look at starting a new diet plan or an exercise regime, we should also set aside the same amount of time, energy, and effort to going to church, reading the Bible, and praying daily to God. After all, as Jesus said, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.”

Point to ponder

Am I as focused on holiness as I am on healthiness?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, encourage us to look after our spirits and grow in faith. Enable us to accept each day as an opportunity to grow closer to You. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can read the church website at www.erinpresbyterian.org. You can also send John an email to Traqair@aol.com with your feedback, questions, and comments.

Today’s image is one of John’s stained-glass drawings called “As a Dove.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Dove.

Looking for Jesus - John 6:24

John 6:24 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. (NIV)

            Quite recently, I was seeking an old recording of a conversation that some friends of mine had at a radio station several years ago. One of them had just died and I was wanting to hear his voice again, as well as the remarkable story of his life. I hunted high and low in my home, my study, my garage, and church office, but sadly I didn’t come across the CD. I know that it is somewhere safe and I’ll probably discover it when I’m looking for something else. Until then, I’ll just have to rely on the memories that I have of my friend and the good times that we shared.

            At the end of today’s Gospel passage (John 6:22-24), the people are looking for Jesus, but He is nowhere to be found. The previous day, He had miraculously fed 5000 people, which made the crowd want to make Him their king. When they discovered that Jesus had gone, they set out on their boats and sailed up to Capernaum where He usually resided. I’d like to think that they were looking for Christ for all of the right reasons, but I suspect that human nature being what it is, they were mostly looking for more miraculous food.

            This made me reflect on my own search for Jesus. Have I been seeking Him for all of the right reasons, or do I have some selfish desires that I want Him to fulfill? Am I looking to Christ to straighten out my problems, overcome my difficulties, and fix my issues, or I am I just humbly seeking to serve Him because He is my Lord and King? I hope and pray that it is more to do with the latter.

Point to ponder

Am I looking for Jesus to do something in my life or am I seeking to do something for Him?

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are the Lord of our lives and the King of all Creation. We are supposed to be Your servants and faithful followers. Help us to seek Your will in all that we accomplish and experience today. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can read the church website at www.erinpresbyterian.org. You can also email John with your questions, feedback, and thoughts at Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings called ‘Jazz4Jesus.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Jazz.