John 6:35-40 - Jesus said to them, "I am the Bread of Life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will but the will of Him who sent Me. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given Me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."
Do you remember the story of the woman who had a bleeding problem that went on for years, and she needed healing, but she was afraid to ask Jesus? She thought He would be angry or reject her. And so she sneaked up on Him in a crowd, because she thought she could just touch the hem of His robe and get what she needed. She had no idea that He would welcome her with His whole heart. What a shock it was when He did!
To tell the truth, she's not the only person to feel that way about Jesus. If we are honest, most of us have had times when we felt like Jesus' welcome was too good to be true. "If He really knows the truth about me, He won't want me," we think. "Other people have rejected me, and why should God be any different?" And so we creep through our lives, eyes downcast, wanting so desperately to come into Jesus' presence—but worried. Nervous. Afraid.
Jesus knows our hearts, of course. That's why He said these things to us. Listen to His words. "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast out. ... God wills that I should lose nothing of what He has given Me ... this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life."
Jesus says "all," "whoever," "everyone." That means you. That means me. No exceptions. And if you still doubt it—take a look at that cross where He hung for your sake and mine. Just how many sins do you think Jesus' blood can cover? One drop of His blood is enough for the whole world! Faced with that incredible sacrifice, we have no choice but to give up and admit it: Jesus can rescue even me, even you, and He has every intention of doing it. He has claimed us as His own, and He has sealed that with His blood. And now He has risen from the dead and lives forever, to keep His promises and to bring us safely home.
THE PRAYER: Lord, thank You that Your salvation and Your promises are for me, too. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
1. When have you felt rejected by someone?
2. Why is it so hard to trust that God really does love and want us?
3. What specific events or words from Jesus give you the most confidence that God will never reject you?
Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 127-129 Acts 18
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