Soul Food

Bible Reading: John 6:32-40

Mrs. T. opened the front door that was as wide as her smile. “Come on in, Grace and Bella! I’m pleased you could come!”

Bella stepped into Mrs. T.’s house after her mother. Her mouth began to water at the tantalizing smells.

“Tanya, thank you for having us over,” Bella’s mom said with a smile.

Mrs. T. gave Bella a squeeze. “It’s my favorite calling from God—getting to know people by inviting them into my home. He’s blessed me so much, and I want to spread that blessing around like butter on a flaky biscuit!”

Bella sat down at a table loaded with food. “You made all this?”

“I sure did!” Mrs. T. nodded.

“What are those round, golden things?”

“Hush puppies. They are made with cornmeal and fried up crisp—eating them with pulled pork and collard greens is close to heaven on earth! Have you ever had soul food, Bella?”

“Soul food? I don’t think so. What’s that?”

Mrs. T. winked. “You’ll get a nice sample today, because everything on this table is soul food! It’s traditional African American food.”

Bella took bite after bite until her plate was empty. “Mrs. T., I think soul food is my new favorite kind of food! Everything you made was tasty, and I’m so full I don’t think I could ever eat again!” Bella patted her stomach.

Mrs. T. laughed. “I promise that even after all this food you will want to eat again later. But I can think of soul food you can eat and never get hungry again!”

“What is it? Some kind of really thick bread?” Bella inquired.

“Yes, the Bread of Life! That’s what Jesus calls Himself in the Bible. Whoever comes to him will never hunger or thirst again. Jesus was talking about a different kind of soul food—one that satisfies us spiritually. When you make Jesus Lord of your life and trust in Him alone to save you, He gives you eternal life. Have you asked Jesus to be the one who feeds your soul, Bella?”

Bella nodded vigorously. “Last year I put my faith in Jesus.”

Mrs. T. clapped her hands joyfully. “Baby, I do believe you know what soul food is after all!”

-Savannah Coleman

How About You?

Are you in need of soul food? Jesus calls Himself the Bread of Life because only He can satisfy our hungry souls and fulfill our longing for God. He died on the cross to save us from sin and rose again so we could have eternal life. When we trust in Him, we will never be hungry spiritually again! If your soul is hungry, trust in Jesus today. (To learn more, click the “Good News!” button in the right column of this page.)

Today’s Key Verse:
John 6:35 (NIV) 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.”

Today’s Key Thought:

Jesus feeds your soul