I began reading through the gospel of John tonight. I'm still doing my chronological reading and have yet to start Deuteronomy but I felt the desire to read this particular gospel. In the middle of chapter 4 are a few versus that describe Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well. He asks her to draw for him water and she explains that He is the living water. He also told her "everything she had ever done" (versus 29) and convinced her that He was the Son of God. She left to go back and tell her people and the disciples decided they knew what Jesus was hungry. So they offer him food but he replies "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." It is right after this statement that he explains what he means in regards to the food.
Now I love food, I do know someone who loves food more than I do, and I know a lot people who live their lives on a schedule that revolves around food (which is most of us). But as I read this story, and John 4:34 specifically, he describes completely what food we should be scheduling around. It isn't the food that will fill our stomachs and within a few hours need more. No the food that God provides is a will and a task.
The will: "to do the will of him who sent me..." When I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior I felt a change. No longer did my plans seem important (even though at times my human thoughts attempt to tell me otherwise) but rather God's plans took precedence. And as I have grown to know God better, understand His voice more clearly and walk the path that Jesus has laid out for my life, I learn more and more each day what that will is that He has for my life. As I continue down the journey of praying about missionary work, my ultimate prayer is that God's will for my life be accomplished in whatever way that looks like. Giving up my dreams and my desires is a must for Jesus for he tells us to take up our cross and follow Him.
The task: "...and to finish his work." For each person, the work or task is different for in Jeremiah 29:11, he explains that he has a plan for each of our lives, to prosper us and give us a future. What he doesn't say in Jeremiah 29:11 is tell me your plans and I will make those happen. Instead, we learn that he has a plan for us, that we do not know, that in seeking Him out, walking with Him daily, we'll discover what that plan is. But the plan isn't about us, even though a lot of times we think it is, for when we accepted Jesus as our Savior, as Jesus said and I repeated in the last paragraph, that He tells us that we are to take up our cross each day. His plans are not to fulfill our dreams but rather the work that is to be accomplished in order to further His Kingdom.
So what's God's will and task for my life? I continue to pray, seek out His word and allow Him to work within my life to direct my path so that it can align with His plan. As each day goes by, more and more confirmation seems to be happening.
Jesus,
I love you. I desire to feed off of your food for all my days. Whether that involves me living amongst family and friends or in another country, I pray that you would continue to bring peace to my soul. I pray that you would continue to show me that I am doing what you want me to do and that your Holy Spirit would continue to fill me each day so that I may walk in your truth. May the will that you have for my life be done in the days you have numbered and may the task that lays ahead not be a burden but rather a gift. I fully acknowledge your workings, knowing that in my own will, that none of this would be happening. I praise you Lord for the power that you have in working in my life and that may you be glorified in all that I do.
In Jesus sweet name I lift this prayer to you tonight,
Amen
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