🍞 John 4:34 | "My food is to do the will of..."

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Happy Monday, {{first_name | everyone}}!

It’s another week in God’s Word, and we are headed back to the Gospel of John to memorize one of my favorite things that Jesus said!

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In today’s email…

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Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”

John 4:34

To begin, let’s zoom out and see how this verse fits into the Gospel of John as a whole.

The Gospel of John was written so that people would believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing we might have life in his name.

Simply put, John wants us to see that Jesus isn’t just a great teacher, but God-with-us, who brings life.

In John’s gospel, we see a few key ideas:

When Jesus says, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work,” he’s pointing to his identity AND his mission.

He is sent by the Father (identity) and His nourishment, or what keeps him strong, is not literal food but rather doing the Father’s will (mission).

In other words, it’s as if Jesus is saying: What matters most to me is doing what the Father sent me to do.

And a few chapters later, Jesus echoes this idea:

The timing of John's Gospel adds weight to these words.

Written near the end of the first century (A.D. 85–95), John was looking back across six decades to the days he spent with Jesus. In the years between, he saw it all — the birth of the church, the gospel's march across the Roman Empire, and the deaths of his fellow apostles.

So when you read this verse, you're hearing from someone who didn't just record history as he walked with his friend — he lived long enough to see how it all connected.

John writes to help us see what a lifetime of reflection confirmed: every part of Jesus' mission was intentional and aligned with the Father's will.

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The devotional is built on Matthew 25:40 — those shocking words of Jesus: "Whatever you did for the least of these… you did unto Me."

Because it turns out Jesus doesn't measure us by our accomplishments or platform size. He measures us by how we treat the little ones, children, brothers and sisters considered “the least.”

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If doing God’s will was Jesus’ food, it should feed us too.

This week, start small: fill your mind and heart with His words before anything else fills your day.

Say this week’s memory verse (John 4:34) each morning before breakfast. Let it remind you that real spiritual strength comes from God’s presence in your life and obedience to Him — not from what’s on your plate.

And today, find one ordinary task (a conversation, a decision, a small act of service) and make it your “food” by doing it for God.

🙏 Pray

Father, thank You for sending Jesus to show us what perfect obedience looks like. Help me hunger for Your will the way Jesus did. Increase my hunger and thirst to obey you. Amen.

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As I studied this verse, I couldn’t stop thinking about the sustaining power of Jesus when He is our source of strength.

That thought brought one of my favorite worship hymns to mind, and now I cannot get it out of my head. You’re welcome.

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Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”

John 4:34