Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

I have been involved in a Bible Study at my church for the last 6 weeks, which has proven to be very timely.  We have been studying The Sermon on the Mount by Jen Wilkins, Matthew 5-7, in which Jesus teaches the multitude.  Jesus, along with his disciples, gathered on Mount Arbel in lower Galilee. On the side of the Mount, Jesus called his followers to live in a manner that not only fulfilled the Old Testament law, but went beyond the teaching of the law. What Jesus taught was not an external endeavor, but one centered in the heart.

One of the most treasured memories of our trip to Israel a couple of years ago was sitting in this very location where Jesus delivered his sermon. Darrell and I “fell” into a trip to Israel with a group of pastors, primarily from Tennessee, but there were a few from Alabama and North Carolina. We knew no one, but you know, it didn’t matter.  We were brothers and sisters in Christ and quickly found common ground and fellowship.

When we arrived at Mount Arbel, we were instructed to sit down and spend a few moments being quiet.  Then a pastor from Tennessee stood and quoted from memory the entire Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapters 5-7.  At first, I was impressed at his ability to memorize the entire passage. As he continued, I began to appreciate his passion to share the very words that Jesus had spoken two thousand years ago.  In fulfillment of a long time desire, the pastor delivered the words of Jesus on the location of where Jesus stood.  I assure you, the message of Jesus, as delivered by this Tennessean pastor, was strong and impactful.

Back at my church, as the sermon on the Mount Bible study has progressed, the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6: 9-13 was the main focal point this last week.  How timely is the Word of the Lord in our lives.  As a result of this study, I have intentionally spent more time praying these impactful words of Jesus. This last week, I have been meditating on verse 11, “Give us this day our daily bread.” As mentioned in last week’s blog, “What Keeps You Up At Night?” there are many things on our minds, some of which pertain to being able to have enough food and substance in our house to take care of our love ones.

I’m not sure how many of you have been in a situation when you did not know from where your next meal would come. The Israelites found themselves in such a predicament. Having been delivered from the bondage of the Egyptians, the Israelites, due to sin, found themselves wondering in the desert for 40 years. During the 40 years, God sustained them because of His love for them, even though they were a rebellious people.  In Exodus 16:4, God tells Moses, their leader, “I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them whether or not they will walk in my instruction.” God provided daily bread for the Israelites during those 40 years of walking around. And besides that, their clothing did not wear out!

In meditating and studying this portion of the Sermon on the Mount this week, my dependence on God to provide daily bread has been renewed.  I was reminded of many times in our lives that God has demonstrated his faithfulness to us in providing what we needed each and every day.  One such occasion was our first year at seminary.  Through a course of events, all of which were orchestrated by God and His timing, we landed at Southwestern Seminary with five children.  Some may ask . . . wouldn’t it have been easier to go to seminary before having children of which I would easily have answered, YES! But, as God had willed, we went to seminary with our five children ranging in ages of 9 years old to 20 months.

There is so much more to the story of the when and the how God led us to seminary, which I will save for another blog. Needless to say, we prepped as well as we could and headed off for God’s new adventure.  We had enough resources to last into November of that first semester; someone had to get a job.  Both of us did get employment, but with the adjustment of all of the needs and waiting for the “first” checks to come in, we found ourselves lacking.  It all came to a head the week of Thanksgiving, not a surprise to God.  On about Tuesday that week, I went to work as normal.  Darrell was had finished his classes for the week and was home with the kids. We had been praying for God’s provision since our food supplies were almost completely depleted.  Actually, after breakfast that day, there were only five corndogs left for the children for lunch.  We just needed to get though that day since were leaving the next day to go to my parents, courtesy of a their gas card. 

Darrell said he was vacuuming the house, praying for God’s provision of food, the daily bread we needed, when the children came running to him saying that a man was at the front door with a big box.  Darrell opened the door, and there stood someone from the seminary office with a big box of food.  God met our daily need and then some.  This was just one of many times that God has demonstrated His faithfulness to us.  What was the long lasting impact on us and our children? . . . one  carried on in our lives?  God’s faithfulness is unwavering. His timing is perfect.  He will never leave or for forsake us, meeting all of our needs.

We have all seen those who are in need of daily bread on street corners, parking lots and at the doors of our churches.  While we were in Mexico City as missionaries, the MK school (school for children of missionaries) had a ministry project of preparing lunches and small gifts for the street children of that large 28 million people city.  Everyone prepared as many lunches as was possible and journeyed to the south end of the city.  After arriving at the location, we set up all the brown bags at a plaza area around a fountain.  It wasn’t long before the children began to come.  There is no way we could have known when they ate last but we for sure knew God was using our children to feed them that day. We were just vessels through which God provided daily bread, just like the man that had shown up at our house several years earlier.

One of the greatest men of faith has been George Muller (1805 – 1898). Rev. Muller was a Christian evangelist and the director of an orphanage named Ashley Down in Bristol England.  He cared for over 10,000 orphans, providing food, clothing and education along being involved in other ministry services.  In a biography of Reverend Muller, I read an impactful scene of George Muller. He, his wife and the orphans were sitting around the table, set for breakfast, but lacking food.  Reverend Muller led in prayer for their food.  In a short time, there was a knock at the door and there stood someone with an armload of food, apologizing for not having delivered the food the day before, when they felt led to provide food.  This example of praying to God for His provision is a powerful testimony to all of us, to trust God for our very existence and for every daily need. 

What is the intent of this model of prayer Jesus provided to those who he was teaching to and everyone who has recited His words since that time? Jesus was teaching us how to pray and in our specific topic of daily bread to seek God for his provision of daily bread…. no more or no less than what we need to sustain us for the day.  It points to our daily dependence on our Father, who is in heaven, our Abba father who is the Alpha/Omega, creator of all. 

As we face the days ahead, let us all go before our Father, not concerned about how we are going to meet our needs, but to our Father, asking for our daily bread who knows exactly what we need.  As Christians, we are to also be ever mindful to the needs around us; being attentive to how God could desire to use us as the vessels through which to pour out His provisions to others.  In no particular order, just some suggestions to consider are the needs of children/families in the school district where you live.  Look within your own church or to any small churches in the area that might need encouragement or provisions. Many churches have a food pantry that may be struggling to meet the needs of those seeking help. Look for any needs among the college/seminary students; many are going to school on ramen noodles and a prayer of faith. And finally, consider those who are homeless, living on the street corners or tent villages in your cities that need daily nutrition.  Our love for our neighbors can be demonstrated through our obedience to the prompting of God’s Holy Spirit to give and serve others in their time of need.

May you seek God for you daily bread, living a life of dependence on His blessings of provision.  Do not fear for today or the future. God is faithful.

Blessings,
Karen

Matthew 6:9-13
9So then, this is how you should pray:
‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.
10Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us this day our daily bread.
12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’