"The Bread of God is He who comes down from Heaven" John 6:33
No bread which grows on the earth — will furnish food for a human soul. In all our worldly strivings and ambitions — we are thinking only of our perishing part, we are looking only after the poor, frail tabernacle — while we are allowing the dweller within to die of hunger.
Recently in an opulent house in a city — a family was found starving! Just so, there are many starving souls — in bodies that are luxuriously cared for. A soul cannot feed on meats and fruits. The finest luxuries of earth — will never quench a soul's hunger.
Manna is called once in the Bible "angel's food," but this was only a poetical designation, referring to its falling from the sky. Manna did not really come down from Heaven. It was not really angels' food. It was food for bodies, not for souls. Angels could not have lived on it. Imagine an angel taking up his abode in some millionaire's palace on the earth. Would he care for the magnificent things filling every room? Would he sit down and feed at the rich man's luxurious table?
Souls and angels are much alike in their needs; both are spirits, unable to exist on material food. Yet many people live as if their souls could be clothed in earth's finery, and fed and satisfied with earth's dainties!
Bread for souls must literally come down from Heaven. It is the nature of the soul — to feed upon immortal things. Its hungers and cravings are for pardon of sin, for peace and communion with God, for holiness of character, for Christ-likeness, for restoration to the Divine favor. The bread for these spiritual hungers — must come down from Heaven. It must come in the form of mercy, of grace, of love, of Divine friendship, of gifts of life. Such food is found on no table on earth; it grows in no earthly climate; it can come only from God. It is for God, the living God — that our souls hunger and thirst.
Be the first to react on this!
J.R. Miller (1840 - 1912)
Prolific author and pastor of Presbyterian churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois, Rev. James Russell Miller served the USCC as a field agent in the Army of the Potomac and Army of the Cumberland.J.R. Miller began contributing articles to religious papers while at Allegheny Seminary. This continued while he was at the First United, Bethany, and New Broadway churches. In 1875, Miller took over from Henry C. McCook, D.D. when the latter discontinued his weekly articles in The Presbyterian, which was published in Philadelphia. J.R. Miller D.D.'s lasting fame is through his over 50 books. Many are still in publication.
James Russell Miller (March 20, 1840 - July 2, 1912) was a popular Christian author, Editorial Superintendent of the Presbyterian Board of Publication, and pastor of several churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois.
In 1857, James entered Beaver Academy and in 1862 he progressed to Westminster College, Pennsylvania, which he graduated in June, 1862. Then in the autumn of that year he entered the theological seminary of the United Presbyterian Church at Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Mr. Miller resumed his interrupted studies at the Allegheny Theological Seminary in the fall of 1865 and completed them in the spring of 1867. That summer he accepted a call from the First United Presbyterian Church of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. He was ordained and installed on September 11, 1867.
J.R. Miller began contributing articles to religious papers while at Allegheny Seminary. This continued while he was at the First United, Bethany, and New Broadway churches. In 1875, Miller took over from Henry C. McCook, D.D. when the latter discontinued his weekly articles in The Presbyterian, which was published in Philadelphia.
Five years later, in 1880, Dr. Miller became assistant to the Editorial Secretary at the The Presbyterian Board of Publication, also in Philadelphia.