Jesus is our Life, Livelihood and Life Everlasting

Jesus is our Life, Livelihood and Life Everlasting

Deut. 8:1-10

1. When Adam and Eve were still in their sinless state, the Lord provided their means of livelihood. All Adam had to do was to eat of the fruit of all the trees (except for one) in the garden. And the Lord Jesus Christ was his provider. Now when Adam fell into sin, he had to provide for his own sustenance.

Man becomes his own provider. Man has to do farming, and commerce. He has to exert effort in order to eat bread; firstly, he needs to plant wheat. After harvest, the grain needs to be ground to produce flour, which in turn is baked in order to make bread. Small wonder, the term ‘bread’ connotes livelihood. That is why, since Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden, the Lord has ordained that they would live by the sweat of their brows. This is man’s earthly economic activity.

2. The Israelites were slaves to the Egyptians for so many years. And they had to break their backs in servility just to have food on their table. But when they entered into a covenant with the Lord Jesus that they would follow Him in all faithfulness, the Lord would liberate them from the shackles of slavery, give them food to eat and lead them to the land that was promised to their father Abraham. The wilderness they had to pass through had no ‘life support system’ whatsoever (the wilderness is a state of man where he has no means of livelihood, and the Lord uses this situation to test man’s faith. In James 1:2, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diverse temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”) They questioned Moses and God; “Have you brought us this far to die in the wilderness?” In Deut. Chapter 8, the Lord brought them to a world where there is no means of livelihood in order reveal if they truly love the Lord Jesus Christ. If a man has totally and absolutely dedicated his life to the Lord, he will trust the Lord in spite of the deprivations of this world. And the Lord will tide him over all difficulties in life. (Hab. 2:4; 3:17-19: Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. The Lord has a provision for every man’s need. (Matt. 6:33)

3. Man had to eat bread of his own labor. But when there is no more bread to make, so long as you obey the Lord Jesus Christ, He will provide for you. In the New Testament, the Lord fed 5,000 people (Matt. 14:21; Mk. 6:44; Jn. 6:10) and in other instances, 4,000 men (Matt. 15:38; Mk. 8:9). The Lord Jesus made the bread with His own hands. The people left their livelihood and followed Jesus in the wilderness. It is in this state, their lives were in total obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. Their entire beings were focused to the Jesus. THIS IS TRUE WORSHIP. It is in this instance the Lord Jesus fed them. As they listened and followed the Jesus, they ceased to work for their living, but the Lord filled them to satisfaction. There is an infinite provision for all who would dedicate their lives to the Jesus Christ. (My cup runneth over-Ps. 23:5)

4. Though your life may be desolated by the nothingness of this world, if you have devoted your all to the Lord Jesus Christ (drew near, listened, and followed), He will give you life. How big is the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ? Everlasting life if you devote your all to the Lord. Have you received from Lord? How much? Jn. 6:11-“As much as they would (want).” (Ps 23-“I should not want…my cup runneth over.”)

5. In this world, there is no such thing as ‘economic security’. Heb 12:26-27 says: -“Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.” If we trust on our own capabilities, or on what the world can offer, then we are trusting on a ‘losing proposition’. This world is not only shaken and growing old; but is also doomed to destruction. The Lord Jesus said, I will shake every thing. Why? So no one will trust in this world and what it can give, but trust only in the Lord Jesus Christ. As time passes by, the resources of this world diminishes. And because man is evil, everyone will turn to greed in order to survive. A lot of people will suffer deprivation. (Jn 16:33) Certainly, there is no certainty in this world of finite resources.

6. But there is one way – Devote your all to the Lord Jesus Christ. Live by faith in Him. (Hab. 2:4; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38) For the just shall live by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the victory that overcomes the world, even so our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (1Jn 5:45) He is the God of Abraham who quickens the dead and calls the things that be not as though they were. All things are possible in God.

7. The Lord Jesus Christ said: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any one eat of this bread, he shall live forever.” (Jn. 6:51a) The life that the Lord Jesus Christ offers is abundant life not only in this world, not only in the heavenly, but also in eternity. Jesus is not only our livelihood, but He is also our Life and Everlasting Life

Author:  Rev. Archbishop Mario I. Quitoriano

Jesus is our Life, Livelihood and Life Everlasting by Rev. Archbishop Mario I. Quitoriano is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Philippines License.
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