...our daily bread.

 Give us today our daily bread. (Matthew 6:11, NIV)

Our daily bread. Years ago, I had the privilege of having a conversation with Joni Erickson Tada. At the age of 17, Joni was the victim of a horrific swimming accident, when she dove into a shallow lake and broke her neck. As a result, Joni was paralyzed from the neck down, becoming a paraplegic. By the time I met her, 28 years had gone by, and Joni was an established author and leader with a successful and impressive ministry, through which she has ministered to thousand of people in tons of different situations. That day, Joni said that many times people would ask her how she had been able to endure 28 years in that wheelchair, depending on others for every aspect of her life. She then said that her answer was always the same, “One day at a time. One day at a time.”

                When Jesus gave his disciples the prayer we now know as The Lord’s Prayer, after expressing the intimacy and worship, and the submission and yield found in verses 9 and 10, He immediately says, “Give us this day our daily bread.” We could interpret this verse in many different ways. I have heard some say that it has to do with our physical needs, others contend that it speaks more of our spiritual needs. Whatever the case, none of these interpretations are wrong, since God can speak to us in many ways through many different verses at different times, according to our need and the circumstances of the moment. Yes, it can be physical, emotional, or spiritual. Bur for me, the emphasis is more in the timing than in the object. What I need daily, give it to me today. The reason that God is our hope for tomorrow is that we’ve seen His hand yesterday, and we are seeing it today; therefore we can believe that He will provide for tomorrow. The people of Israel saw God’s provision during their journey through the desert, one day at a time. God’s precise instructions were that they were to pick every day, only the portion for that day, except on the sixth, so they had enough for the Sabbath. For forty years, they saw the manna, even in the midst of their complaining against God, Moses, and Aaron. God was faithful, and He gave them “their daily bread” consistently, because that was His promise, and God always keeps His promises.



Comments

  1. CoffeepearslandpurpleclothSeptember 25, 2020 at 4:30 PM

    I have seen myself in many situations when I can only have light for the step I’m on, and can only reap the peace I need for that day. But God is always faithful. That’s what He does.

    ReplyDelete

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