Topic: Feed on Christ [Joseph Prince Devotional 18 May 2021]
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Feed on Christ
And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”
John 6:35
In John 11:53, we see an unexpected response toward Jesus when He performed the astounding miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. From that day on, it says the chief priests and the Pharisees plotted to kill Jesus—the One Who opened blind eyes, unstopped deaf ears, cleansed those with leprosy, and raised the dead!
Why? And what does this tell you about what was in their hearts?
In order to be a chief priest or a Pharisee, one needed to be a student of the Word of God from a young age, and to know the Torah from front to back. Yet the religious leaders, who were zealous for the law and knew all about the Torah, were the very people who plotted to kill Jesus.
Now lean in and listen closely to what I am about to say. They had head knowledge but they did not have a heart for the person of Jesus. They had all this Bible knowledge, but they did not have the Author of the Bible in their hearts.
They would constantly quote from the Old Testament to condemn and to crush those who have failed instead of saving them. Remember how they wanted to stone the woman caught in adultery by quoting from the law of Moses, but Jesus saved her by inviting the one who had no sin to cast the first stone.
Beloved, it is possible for people today to accumulate a lot of head knowledge on this theology and that theology, and yet not have any heart knowledge that burns with love and passion for our Lord Jesus Christ. It is possible to enrich your mind or to study about this interpretation and that interpretation of the Scriptures, and still have a heart that is stone-cold when it comes to an intimate and personal relationship with Jesus.
Now don’t misunderstand me—I am not saying that you should not acquire Bible knowledge. I am saying that we need to study the Bible not simply to accumulate head knowledge, but to have a revelation of Jesus. To have a heart of love for Jesus, you must know the Bible.
In fact, true scriptural knowledge about Jesus will lead you to have a heart for Jesus. Don’t be like the Pharisees, who had Bible knowledge, but no love for our Lord Jesus. Don’t miss the Author when you are reading His Word.
When you study the Bible, study to feed on the person of Jesus. Feed on His beauty, His grace, His majesty, and His immense and sacrificial love for you. We read the Word to feed on Christ.
Oh, how I love the phrase, “to feed on Christ.” He is the bread of life and the more you feed on Him in the Word, the more you will be strengthened and nourished with His health, life, and wisdom for every area of your life.
When you see Jesus in the Word, you will know how to esteem and value Him. Jesus becomes real food for your soul and He gives you strength for your service.
Real holiness comes from beholding Jesus. As you behold our Lord, you are transformed from the inside out from glory to glory.
When you value Jesus, your heart’s desire is just to glorify Him in everything that you think, say, and do. When you have a heart for Jesus, everything in your life—whether it is your marriage, your parenting, or your career—will fall into place as you receive His finished work!