Bread and Water

There are some things we simply cannot live without. They are so simple they amaze the intellects among us. In John 4:10, Jesus offers Himself as “living water” and two chapters later, in John 6:35, He describes Himself as, “the bread of life.” Bread and water are the very basic, most essential, everyday necessities of life, without which we cannot live but a few hours. Some think of faith as a luxury, a Sunday delicacy, an acquired taste, take it or leave it. But to Jesus, faith was not defined by some super-imposed accessory. It was simply illustrated with bread and water. In a land where water was often unfit to drink and where non-intoxicating wine was the substitute of choice, I find it interesting that on the night Jesus was betrayed, in an upper room with His disciples and one final teaching opportunity, He chose to illustrate His truth with bread and wine. We, who long so for the challenging, complicated things of life, may need to again hear Jesus say, “bread” and “water.”

Join me in prayer for . . .
• T____, J____, and M____, eastern Europeans who gave their lives to Christ, this past week. Please pray for growth for each of them. Now comes persecution they will face from unbelieving family members and friends. They are not in danger of being physically harmed, but they will most likely be mocked and ridiculed for following Jesus Christ.

* Also pray for Hope Medical personnel from Macau who are enroute to an area devastated by the recent cyclone. Access has been extremely restricted. Please pray for the team’s health and protection and for opportunities to go where help is most needed. And if allowed in, please pray for a special outpouring of God’s spirit so they can stay focused on helping others and not be overwhelmed by the needs and tragedy.

This week’s link (not to be confused with a weak link) . . . www.nhop.ca