Rejoice in what God provides

Give us this day our daily bread in the so-called Lord’s Prayer seems out of place in a prayer devoted to spiritual things:  Father in heaven, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven, Forgive us our debts/trespasses as we forgive those who trespass (debtors) against us.  The only piece of the prayer that sounds like we are to ask for food each day doesn’t track.

The passage in Matthew where Jesus speaks of how we are to get daily food speaks specifically to NOT worrying about what we are to eat, or drink or wear.  Jesus said your heavenly father knows you have need of those things.  TAKE NO THOUGHT about food, drink, or clothing.  INSTEAD, he says, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all THESE things (food, drink, clothing) will be added unto you.  (Matthew 6:33)

In the passage where there were 5,000 men not counting the women and children, his disciples came up with only a boys lunch to share.  Jesus was unaffected by the seeming incongruity of so little to feed so many.  First thing he did was to thank God for his provision and then the disciples distributed the broken pieces to the people all of which had lunch and there were 12 baskets left over with the remaining portions.  (John 6)

When Jesus was tempted of the devil in the wilderness, the first temptation was to make stones into bread.  Jesus remembered the Old Testament promise of God:  Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.  (Matthew 4:4)

In John 1:1  In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.  The same was in the beginning and without him was not anything made that was made.  Jesus, was the Word made flesh and in another passage, he tells the crowds if they can understand it He was the manna that came down every day to feed the Israelites in the wilderness. (The Word was their manna, their food.)  (John 6:57 – 58)

There were many people who followed him until he told them that they could not be a part of his body on earth unless they ate his body and drank his blood. A whole bunch of them walked away that day and quit following him so many that Jesus asked his inner circle, Will you also go away?  John 6:53 – 68)If you don’t realize the picture painted in these words you might the next time you have the Lord’s supper/Communion where the words are read—Take, eat this is my body which is broken for you and this cup is the new covenant in my blood, drink ye all of it. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup you do show the Lord’s death til he come. (1 Corinthians 11:23 - 25

Let us rejoice in the bread of life God provides for us daily.  Whether we choose a large portion or a small one it is enough for the day and if left uneaten will turn to worms as the manna did in the wilderness.  We need fresh bread daily. (Luke 11:3)

(Cathy Bayert is pastor of Greybull First Baptist Church.)