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John 4:34

ESV Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.
NIV My food,' said Jesus, 'is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.
NASB Jesus *said to them, 'My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work.
CSB "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work," Jesus told them.
NLT Then Jesus explained: 'My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.
KJV Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

What does John 4:34 mean?

Food is meant to refresh and recharge the body. A body which does not consume the right kinds of food will be weak, ineffective, and sickly. On the other hand, eating a good meal provides the body with energy and strength. Spiritually speaking, the "food" of our spirit is the will of God. Jesus was tired and weary from a long journey (John 4:6). And yet, simply following the will of God gave Him a spiritual boost.

This makes sense when we consider the idea of God as the Creator. If we are created for a purpose, and that purpose is the will of God, then it makes sense that we feel best when we're accomplishing that purpose. Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3 when being tempted by Satan (Matthew chapter 4). His comment then was that "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). There is more to our lives than simply keeping the physical body running; we have a purpose beyond this world. We can't feel "right" unless we're living out that purpose. We can't help but feel refreshed when we've made progress on behalf of the One who created us.
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What is the Gospel?
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