January 11- John 8:21

THE VERSE

So he said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek me, and you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.”
~John 8:21

THE THOUGHT

This is a pretty shocking verse. You might be thinking, "Jesus, what do you mean that someone could seek You and still die in their sins? I always thought the Bible says that You will never turn away someone who seeks You."

Well, the Jews that Jesus was talking to objected as well. So Jesus then said, "I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am He you will die in your sins." So apparently they could seek Him without ever really believing that He was who He said He was.

There is such a thing as faithless seeking. You can seek Jesus earnestly and diligently without one drop of true faith. The people who followed after Jesus in John 6 when He fed the 5,000 were not seeking Him with faith. "Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.'" (John 6:26-27) The people were seeking Jesus because He gave them food; they weren't actually interested in Him.

How well this describes so many "seekers" today! So many people are only interested in seeking Jesus because of what He might be able to give them: a job, money, a spouse, friends, well-behaved kids, security, a personal sense of spiritual fulfillment or enlightenment. Jesus is clear in John 6:35- believing Him means coming to Him as thirst-quencher and satisfier, believing that HE is the bread of life. In other words, seeking Him in order to get something is no faith at all. True faith means seeking Jesus because you want HIM, and all the glorious fullness of everlasting joy that He is.

THE PRAYER

Jesus, Help me to seek You daily with true faith. I want to want more of You and to find more joy in making much of You in my life. Holy Spirit, open my eyes to see who Jesus really is, so that I may seek and find Him with true faith.

EXTENDED READING

John 6:22-40
John 8:21-30


THE QUOTE

“Worship and worry cannot live in the same heart: they are mutually exclusive.” ~Ruth Bell Graham



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