Today's Passage:  John 6

There are so many great stories in John 6....the feeding of the five thousand, the storm on the Galilee, and Jesus' statement that He is the Bread of Life.  On one of our days in Israel last march, we traced the steps of these events, and the power of that day is still very fresh in my memory.  I can't imagine what it would have been like to see these things in such a short amount of time.

I think that is what makes the events at the end of John 6 so remarkable to me.  Just after seeing these miracles and hearing Jesus teach, scripture tells us that "from this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him."   How does someone see all the power that Jesus demonstrated and then fall away so quickly?

The key is found at the end of the story...Jesus teaches they have to give up their lives to follow Him.  They have to leave what they know and confess that Jesus is the Truth.  They have to take on the nature of the Suffering Servant.  They were more than willing to see (and benefit) from His power, but when it came to change they quickly fell away.

Where are you today with your walk with Christ?  Are you looking to benefit from His power without giving your life completely to Him?  Are you willing to receive His blessing without recognizing His way is perfect?  The two must go hand in hand!