Dear Friends,
I don’t know about you, but I love the smell of freshly baked bread. When you go into a home or a shop you can smell it straight away, and it fills the whole place. I was in a shop the other day, and the smell of the bread was making everyone feel hungry. I often think of that when Jesus says ‘I am the Bread of Life’. For me, it’s not just about the bread that we feed on but about the smell of that fresh bread that draws us in to begin with – that makes us feel hungry for it in the first place. There was something new about the bread that Jesus brought – it smelt and tasted different from the harsh, dry crustiness of the religious leaders – and that’s still true today.
When the Israelites were fed by God with manna – the bread of heaven – it was a foretaste of all that was to come in Jesus, who was the true bread of heaven. The Israelites gathered it fresh every single day, and in the same way it’s a picture for us that we too need to feed on Jesus’ words every day. If you don’t already read the Bible every day I do encourage you to do so. There are some good online notes, such as Bible in a Year by Nicky Gumbel or UCB Word for Today, as well as many more booklets that are available, such as Every Day With Jesus, Scripture Union or Bible Society.
When Jesus told the story of the two builders—one who built his house on the sand and another who built his house on the rock —he was talking about the need to build our lives on his word. The more his word dwells in us, the more we have the strength to deal with the things that life can throw at us. I do hope that you will take the opportunity this autumn, if you haven’t done so before, to start reading the Bible regularly. If you wish to talk about it, feel free to get in touch with me, or why not join a Bible Study or Fellowship Group?
I am hoping to start a Bible Study soon, and I invite you to come along. Further details of dates and times are to follow, but it would be lovely to see you.
With love,
Jane