I guess I'm still a kid at heart. One of my favorite treats of all time is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I am such a sucker for about a half inch thick layer of peanut butter! ....and crunchy peanut butter is even better! But what makes a really good sandwich great is the bread. I have never been a fan of white bread. I don't even like soft wheat bread. I want a slice of bread that is hearty, crunchy and kind of bites back! If it has nuts and seeds, it is all the more enticing because the quality is heightened.
The way to make a perfect peanut butter and jelly sandwich is to toast the bread with a bit of butter before slathering on the peanut-y goodness. A nice, thin layer of fruit-only jelly or jam is the next addition. Finally, the thick and crunchy layer of peanut butter. And to push this over the top, I drop the jelly entirely, add banana slices and drizzle with honey. But...like I said, it all comes down to the bread. It has to be chewy and nutty. A sandwich of most any kind is delicious as long as it is on the right bread.
I have never been one to bake much bread. I've given it a shot a time or two and been successful, but it isn't my thing. My husband, Wayne, has a weak spot for bakeries, though. Any time he smells baking bread, he feels compelled to go in and buy a loaf or two. And I have to admit that the smell of freshly baked bread is somewhat heady! Even if I'm not hungry, I can smell bread baking in an oven and my stomach begins to growl. Real estate agents have been known to pop a loaf into an oven to entice prospective buyers to linger a bit longer in an open home. The fragrance of this staple is alluring.
Jesus Himself recognized the desire that wells up in us when we are in the presence of a loaf of wonderful bread. John 6:35 states, "Then Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry.'" There is a hunger that is deep within each of us that can't be satiated by any other means. Every human on the planet has a void that is created especially for the infilling of the Almighty God. There are so many other things that promise to fill our emptiness, but time and again, truth is revealed: Only Jesus can satisfy our hungry souls. We can try to satisfy our yearning with many other things, but they are temporary replacements.
Some will even try to offer over-processed versions of truth, simplifying God to the point where there isn't much substance. Don't fall for it. Some people want to change who God is and make Him a fru-fru version of the real deal - kind of like putting those biodegradable packing peanuts next to a loaf of good, hearty bread. The substitutes are easy to spot. The only thing that can ever meet your deep cravings is the pure and hearty substance of the one true God of the Bible. Jesus is the only way to get to a place of deep satisfaction in your life. Weigh everything against the Word of God. If someone is selling a version of God that does not line up with the Bible, it is nothing more than filler.
Once you learn to rely on God Himself, everything else in your life becomes like a wonderful component of a truly great sandwich! With the proper staple of the Bread of Life, our lives are full and satisfying, and the quality of ingredients becomes evident - even enticing - to those who know us.
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