Do You Need Food…or Only Cookies?

Prayer ~ Lord, feed me from Your word…for You, Jesus said…man shall not live on bread alone (Deuteronomy 8:3)…and give us this day our daily bread (Matthew 6:11). Thanks for providing everything we need.

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. But don't be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval." They replied, "We want to perform God's works, too. What should we do?" Jesus told them, "This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent." John 6:26-29

 

Meditate. Are you hungry?

 

Loaves and Fish Mosiac
Jesus feeding the 5,000
Near the Sea of Galilee, Bethsaida
Israel

Can you imagine the people flocking to Jesus just to be fed after He fed the 5,000 men and their families? People always want free. An example of this today is the long lines of people—in their nice cars—getting free food at the local food distribution centers. It happens. Friends of ours are very involved in boxing up the groceries—and the families get at least four boxes a week. I’m sure there are plenty of families who really need that food to survive since they’ve lost their jobs due to the COVID pandemic. Some of those same families may need to hear about Jesus and His miraculous signs. In our focus passage today, Jesus said…But don't be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. Jesus is the imperishable thing we should all be seeking—and He has promised that if we seek Him, we will find Him. 

Where are you looking for Jesus? On YouTube—yes, you may hear about Him there. Are you looking under a rock? He won’t be under a rock—because He is the Rock—the stronghold on whom we can depend for our strength, peace and mercy. You will find Him by reading God's word and discussing it with others. God stresses that all we need to do is believe.  Believe in Jesus as the Son of God, as God Himself, and as the Messiah—Savior of mankind. I believe. Do you?

 

Verses of Salvation ~ Look up to the skies above, and gaze down on the earth below. For the skies will disappear like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing. The people of the earth will die like flies, but my salvation lasts forever. My righteous rule will never end! "Listen to me, you who know right from wrong, you who cherish my law in your hearts. Do not be afraid of people's scorn, nor fear their insults. For the moth will devour them as it devours clothing. The worm will eat at them as it eats wool. But my righteousness will last forever. My salvation will continue from generation to generation." - Isaiah 51:6-8

 

Memory Verse of the Week ~ For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

 

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

In the beginning…what is the very first thing you created in the kitchen? The first thing I remember cooking all by myself was Chocolate Chip Cookies. One summer when I was about seven years old my Mom went off to a meeting leaving us kids with Dad to supervise us. I asked Dad if I could make cookies—and he asked if I knew how to do it. Sure. I could read the ingredients—they were printed on the bag of chocolate chips. I carefully measured out all the ingredients into a big bowl and stirred them together…and then I read the “instructions” that described the correct order of stirring together all the ingredients. Oops. It was a little lumpy—but I kept stirring….and then I lopped spoonfuls of the dough onto a cookie sheet and baked them. Yum! That was the beginning of my foodie adventure. You just can’t go wrong with chocolate chip cookies. Enjoy with a tall glass of cool milk. 

 

We all need cookies…but no one needs them more than our own Cookie Monster…Kim.

 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) chocolate chips – Nestles are the best.

1 cup chopped pecan or walnuts

 

Preheat oven to 375° F. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chips and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies. 

 

© 2022 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm. 

 

Books by Mickey M. Hunacek

Parenting Day By Day - Daily Devotional for Building Character

Coins of the Bible: New Testament Stories

Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com