When Samaritan woman ran back to town to call everyone to listen to this Rabbi who she was convinced was the Messiah, the disciples returned to Jesus at the well. They urged him to eat, and his response was that he had food they didn’t know anything about. They didn’t understand what he meant, but for the next two days they listened with all the people of the village.

But the disciples still had questions. Later, after they had seen Jesus feed 5000 people from a boy’s lunch of five barley loaves and walk on the water as they were traveling across a sea by boat, they asked him:

“Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.”

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

“Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

John 6:30-35 NLT

Jesus explained who He was—the source of all our hope—over and over again.

Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given,because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

John 7:37-39 NLT

How strong and focused is your own faith and trust in God?

Do you know, that you know, that you know:

• that God is your source of all hope?
• that Jesus is living water, and when you drink of Him, you will never thirst again?
• that Jesus is the bread of life?
• that God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose?
• that you are a loved child of God?

Now is the time to pursue this relationship with God, because at some point in your life you will find yourself “in the valley of the shadow of death.” Praising God increases your faith, and faith is what you will need to walk through that valley without fear. “I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).