Jesus replied, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. ~ John 6:35 (NLT)
In my younger years (many moons ago) I loved to play volleyball. Two-man beach volleyball was my passion, but in high school varsity, we didn’t have such a team. We were lucky enough to have a men’s six-man team, however. I loved to play. I played with passion, giving it every ounce of my energy whenever I was on the floor. God had blessed me with many skills that allowed me to be successful at the game. But, even with giftedness, there were, and are, certain things athletes must do to keep themselves game-ready. Two of the more important things to do is to eat properly and stay hydrated (drink lots of water) before a match.
I remember a particular match my junior year where I did neither of those two things. The van ride to the tournament would last about two hours. So, we brought lots of snacks. I have a thing for salty snacks, so I dug into my bag of pretzels. I ate nearly the whole thing. They were good! But, I didn’t drink anything. I forgot my water bottle back at our school.
We arrived a little later than anticipated, so we went straight from the van to the court for our first match. About halfway through, I started to feel tight in my calf muscles. After a few more minutes, I began to feel sharp pains in my legs. Finally, it happened. After I jumped up for a spike, when I landed I crumpled to the floor in pain. Every muscle in both legs were screaming at me. Cramps had set in – and set in hard. I was pulled for the remainder of the match while I drank gallon after gallon of Gatorade and water. After about 30 minutes, I was good to go.
In our spiritual life, it’s important that we also eat the proper spiritual food and drink plenty of spiritual water in order to keep ourselves in shape. Perfectly enough, both are found in the same place, or the same person. Jesus is the bread of life and our spiritual water. When we eat and drink of Him on a regular basis, our spiritual lives thrive. When we neglect our time with Him, our spiritual life cramps up.
Today, and every day, spend time with Jesus. Let Him feed your soul. Drink in His glory, splendor, grace, mercy, and love. Read the beautiful words about Him in Scripture. Talk with Him throughout the day. Join others in worshiping Him. Stay game-ready.
ChadReisig.org 