Needy by Default (YouVersion Daily Refresh, 10-16–25)

Jesus healed people who were sick and fed people who were hungry. Because of that, great crowds were following Him. But He wanted them to know that who He was was greater than what He had to offer…

“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
‭‭John‬ ‭6‬:‭35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God could have hardwired us to need nothing. But instead, He made us dependent on things like food, water, oxygen, sleep, sunlight—and Him. He designed this world intentionally, with specific needs and certain limitations.

We are needy by default. 

Just as food and water are essential for human life, everyday realities point us to spiritual truths…

We need Jesus even more than we need the essentials of life.

We can search for fulfillment in our work and relationships, as well as in money, fame, power, sex, achievement, and adventure. But it all results in emptiness—like chasing after the wind.

So let’s not follow Jesus merely for what He has to offer, but for who He is. Let’s realize that this world will never satisfy, but we already have access to true nourishment.

We can come to Him to be filled because He is the bread of life!

My Thoughts

About a decade ago, I had a hernia surgery that included rebuilding my esophagus. As a result, for about three months after the surgery, I was on a liquid diet since swallowing was difficult for me. Then, the next step was to take medication to numb my esophagus and help me to swallow better. I had difficulty swallowing bread. Yes, bread! So, the surgeon told me to always toast my bread and that would make it easier to go down my esophagus. It worked! I still sometimes have difficulty with the whole swallowing mechanism and when that happens, I know that it is time to quit eating .

The fact that Jesus calls Himself the Bread of Life means a lot to me since I have trouble swallowing real bread. I never have any difficulty taking in Jesus and reading and learning from His Word. I am thankful every day that he took care of me during that long ordeal before and after the surgery. But more than that, I am thankful for who He is, that He is always there, always reliable and never stops feeding us and leading us closer to the knowledge of Him. No matter what the world offers, it will never be able to draw me away from the truth and the light and the bread that is Jesus. I hope that you have found this saving grace in your life and that you realize that Jesus is more than what He offers. He is God, come in the flesh to show us how to live an abundant life.