John 6:30-36 records an example of how spiritually blind we can be when we become fixated on something we want.
Jesus had just told the people that believing in Him as Messiah is the one thing God is asking us to do. And to paraphrase, they responded by saying, “If You really want us to believe that You’re the Son of God, what miracle will You perform to convince us? Yes, we enjoyed the free meal You provided us the other day. But You only fed thousands and just once. Moses gave manna – the bread of heaven – to more than a million Israelites every day for forty years.”
Jesus corrected them by clarifying that it wasn’t Moses but God, the Father, who provided the manna during the wilderness wonderings and that it was meant to symbolize His ultimate provision of the true bread of heaven – the sending of His Son to give life to the world.
Their reply sounds good: “Lord give us this bread always.” But it’s clear by the Lord’s immediate response as well as what follows in the rest of the chapter that they still didn’t get it. He bluntly stated, “I am the bread of life.” And He went on to say that anyone who would come to Him could have their spiritual hunger and thirst completely satisfied. Then He sadly added, “And yet you do not believe.”
They were like a dog on a bone. They just could not let go of the dream of having Jesus provide them with free food. But their insistence on the satisfying of that desire caused them to miss the bigger picture altogether. And I’ll bet you’ve experienced that yourself. I certainly have.
In fact, just a couple of weeks ago I became infatuated with the idea of getting a pair of hiking boots like the ones I bought on our honeymoon when I was nineteen. I know it sounds crazy, but for several days there I spent all my free time dreaming about how much better my life would be if could just relive that part of my wardrobe history. And after several internet searches, I actually found some for sale. I came this close to spending $150 plus shipping on a pair of 44-year-old used boots. Now, that’s nuts!
What did I miss of my Savior’s voice and the ministry of His Spirit during those days when I was so determined to fulfill that desire? What spiritual hungers went unsatisfied by the bread of heaven while I pursued that temporary satisfaction?
And the same thing can happen when we get it in our heads that God ought to do what we think He should, when we think He should, and in the way we think He should. That presumption, if not quickly repented, can grow to the point where it chokes off our spiritual sensitivities.
Be careful not to let that happen. Is there any desire that you’re consumed with or insisting on today? Is the white-knuckled grip you have on that desire flowing out of your relationship with Jesus or something else? I encourage you to be honest with yourself and willing to surrender that hunger to the true bread of heaven.