One of my favorite pleasures and greatest weaknesses is a bakery. If I “walk and smell” by, I am going in. I love how beautiful and golden the pastries look in the glass cases, accompanied by the enticing aroma of freshly baked bread. Not only will I browse, I will certainly purchase a loaf and pinch a piece off in the car before it makes it home. Growing up on a southern diet, bread was a staple at every meal. It was always the appropriate hostess or welcome to the neighborhood gift. Bread is also an integral part of all cultures bringing more than nutritional value, but also used in many religious rituals. Breaking bread brings value to relationships, and promotes bonding. Suffice it to say I get the significance of bread, because bread and I have a long and loving relationship.
When I came to getting to the meat of the scripture, “Give us daily bread,” I went to the book of Exodus to begin my study. This is where God sent “manna” a form of bread to the Israelite people in the wilderness. They were instructed to gather only what they needed for that day. This echoes the truth to me in Jesus’ words, ‘Give us this day’, preceding the instruction for our’ daily bread.” Though try as they might, to gather and hoard more manna, the Israelites did not succeed for the bread did not keep overnight. Only when they gathered for the sabbath did it stay fresh for 2 days. Otherwise God led them to be dependent on Him daily for sustenance. Manna certainly met their nutritional needs, but God’s desire was greater than filling their bellies, He wanted to fill their hearts with deep love and trust for Him.
Because Jesus is the Exact representation of the Father (Hebrews; 1-3) His message to His disciples was consistent with God’s pattern from the old testament. Daily bread and daily dependence. Praying for provision for one day takes my mind off of the leftover want and discontentment of yesterday and the worry about will I have enough for tomorrow, or tomorrow’s depending on my lust. It leads me away from a mindset and a carnal love for materialism. Asking for daily bread keeps me humble and connected to the only reliable source of provision, God, himself. I have had plenty of plans about how to get my favorite thing…More. If I find a great pair of shoes, How often do I think, wow another pair in a different color would be so much better.
When I balance my checkbook, the word “More” is in the forefront of my mind. When I look at my watch or consider my life span, more time is what southern folks say would be “more better. “Sometimes forgetting God owns it all! I have a nice home with two refrigerators, and my kitchen is able to house more than daily bread. I just don’t want a loaf; I want a pantry full of supplies. I am so blessed to live in a country where these luxuries are available. Having been to South America 7 times and sharing daIly life experience with the beloved Peruvian people, I learned first hand about living with daily provision. Many villages have no refrigeration, minimal cooking advantages and decreased options about what is available to eat. Every day they set out to seek supply for that day, sometimes a meal at a time. A meager existence compared to my spoiled American experiences. But their smiles and passion for living, their great faith in God coming through a hymn on Sunday morning “De pie en las promesas”(Standing on the Promises) reminded me I might not be better off with my “more portion.” In Acts 2, it says the followers of Christ, broke bread in their homes with sincere hearts and did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. The joy the Peruvians had were a living picture of these verses. The perspective they had for daily bread convicted me about the role daily dependence plays in gratitude. I came home with a new and more appreciative understanding between a want and a need. If I were to find myself physically more in the daily bread line, what would my testimony look like?
Asking God daily for supply keeps my relationship with Him close and intimate. It helps me not wander too far away from Him in other ways as well. God just isn’t my food chain; He is my mental and emotional supply. The very source of my spiritual strength to live out this wonderful but challenging life he has blessed me with. Growing a faulty dependence on other sources to sustain me has failed. Things like relationships, dreams, health, pleasure, knowledge have shown themselves to be fickle and temporal at best. The good thing about daily dependence on God is He is never unfaithful and never runs out of resources.
Jesus told us in John 6 in these words, “I am the bread of life.” He declared Himself to be our sustenance and supply for everything we need in this life and the next. Praying for daily bread as He taught, is confessing He is the all sufficient one, the source of all we could ever need. It makes me recognize my genuine need for more. Though I am tempted to live my life consistent with the get it all, keep it all culture I find myself in, all I really need is more of Christ. This will increase my faith and trust in Him as I try to follow Him daily.
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