Tag: John 6:35

Devotional: The Beast of Burden (Zechariah 9:9)

On By Janine TuggleIn Devotional, Old Testament, the prophets, Zechariah 
“Behold, your king is coming to you; . . . humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9b)

The donkey is an amazingly strong animal. Through centuries this animal has aided in people’s burdens. In today’s world, especially here in America, the donkey is not thought of as a special animal. It is thought of as dumb or stubborn and is used as the brunt end of jokes or name-calling.

Throughout the Bible, people rode donkeys for everyday travel. When kings rode a donkey, it was a symbol of peace. Opposed to riding a horse which was a symbol for war.

We read when Abraham took his son Isaac for an offering he took along a donkey. 

“So, Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.” (Genesis 22:3)

Saddling the donkey and cutting the wood for the burnt offering, it is probable that the donkey carried the wood and other supplies until they got to the place where Abraham gave Isaac the wood to carry.

Besides supplies, often the donkey was used to carry food. “And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul” (1 Samuel 16:20).

Then later on in the time of Jesus, He fulfills the prophecy of our text in Zechariah 9:9b showing that He is King and that He comes in peace.

It is very interesting that the donkey in the Old Testament carries the bread and wine. Also, a donkey carries Jesus, and the scriptures say, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35).

As stated in an earlier devotional on “God’s Creatures,” all of God’s creatures were made for His glory and in His glory.

Hymn: “To God Be The Glory”

Devotional: Bread and Butter Plate (Romans 8:5)

On By Janine TuggleIn Articles, Devotional, New Testament, Romans 
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit set their minds on the things of the spirit. (Romans 8:5)

Consider the bread and butter plate. It is a small plate like the saucer. The bread plate is used to put your bread on. It helps to keep your bread away from gravies, sauces, and juices the bread may absorb. As the saucer is small and important, being a foundation, the bread and butter plate is also as important.

Contemplate this plate as where we put the Bread of Life. We know that “Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life” (John 6:35a). This plate is to be for when and where we receive the bread of life. This would especially be when we are involving ourselves in Bible study, when we are at services, worshiping God, taking the Lord’s Supper, and praying. But also in our Christian Life.

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:2)

This plate is to be filled with the bread of life and only the bread of life. We do not need to let thoughts or worries of other things run through our minds at the time we are observing with this Bread of Life plate. Jesus said, 

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:51a).

This plate is to be set aside where we can fully concentrate, with no other activities to be thinking of. This is the plate that we should always and continually keep of high importance. 

I know this can be hard because we all at times have trouble focusing when we need to. It is hard to keep the activities of our life from going through our minds. Just as it is hard to keep that bread from getting soaked up with gravy.

As we see, we need to stay focused in the different settings of worship to God as well as our Christian walk in life. Try to keep all those other things that can absorb us or pull us away from our focus on God. 

Hymn: Break Thou the Bread of Life