John 6:37

37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.

In the midst of the disciples discussing how Jesus is the Bread of Life (spiritual sustenance), Jesus says this comforting but slightly cryptic statement. “All those the Father gives me will come to me”? What does that mean? Does it mean that only a select few people will be saved, and others not? The phrase “All those the Father gives” seems rather selective…

Until you remember that God created us ALL, and is guiding ALL our lives. Then the meaning becomes a little clearer. God, in seeking a reunion between humankind and Himself, guides each of our lives in such a way that we will eventually come to at least hear about Jesus. The final step of accepting Christ as Savior is ours to make or not make as we choose, but the choice is there. Through the efforts of missionaries, Christian relief aid, and good old-fashioned Christian friends, word about God spreads, and word about Jesus as the risen Savior goes right along with it.

It may be hard to accept for some, whose lives have taken such drastically hard turns that they may even doubt there is any God at all. Perhaps you’re one of them. I myself wondered where my life was going more than once, as I spent over a decade outside organized religion entirely, and floundered in trying to worship and pray by myself, not ever feeling like I’d truly connected with God. Sometimes I felt downright lost (like yesterday’s blog post, lol), and wondered “Does this God really know where He’s going?”

But, as you might have guessed, I found that indeed He did know where He was driving me–He was just taking a few unexpected roads. And, moreover, I found that Jesus had never driven me away from Him, keeping the word He said in the second half of this verse. Even when I had packed my junk and left organized faith practice, Jesus had never abandoned me; there was an open door always, just waiting for me to walk through.

That door, standing for salvation and love, exists for everyone who lives on Earth today. This, indeed, IS a comfort!