Following the trend without necessarily getting into a habit of using these as extended thoughts on the ones that I send out, here’s something that forms part of Jesus’ guide to prayer.
Give us this day our daily bread – Matt 6:11
This can appear a rather odd part of the prayer. You woke up this morning, put clothes on your back and then worked hard for the best part of the week to get the money needed to get to the shop to get what you need for the day. In that way of looking asking God for daily bread is pathetic. Then we look at it from another perspective. The very ability to wake up is not something that we have given ourselves. The ability to move and work are blessings from the God who created us. In that way we really are dependent on Him for even the very basic things of life.
Yet this request goes beyond the material basics and to the heart of how we need to completely rely on God to sustain us just for the day. Just as it was with the children of Israel back in their time in the wilderness, there is not enough for us to store up for the next day, week or month. God gives us everything we need to face the challenges of the day ahead of us and our ability to look out for these provisions rather than worry about the past or the future ensures we can make the most of the present that God offers us called Today.
After all that’s why the writer of Hebrews in chapter three stresses the importance of protecting each other from conceit and unbelief by encouraging each other every day as long as it’s called today. It is amazing how often I take things for granted and never realise just how vulnerable I am to sly attacks to distract from what I’m meant to be doing today. Thank God for His Word then that instructs us on how we can do what we do in a way pleasing to Him and avoiding the many pitfalls that are so easy to fall into. We depend on God every day and need to verbalise that dependence throughout the day so as to be able to walk in the provisions that He’s made for every day.
For His Name's Sake
Shalom
da man cd
Give us this day our daily bread – Matt 6:11
This can appear a rather odd part of the prayer. You woke up this morning, put clothes on your back and then worked hard for the best part of the week to get the money needed to get to the shop to get what you need for the day. In that way of looking asking God for daily bread is pathetic. Then we look at it from another perspective. The very ability to wake up is not something that we have given ourselves. The ability to move and work are blessings from the God who created us. In that way we really are dependent on Him for even the very basic things of life.
Yet this request goes beyond the material basics and to the heart of how we need to completely rely on God to sustain us just for the day. Just as it was with the children of Israel back in their time in the wilderness, there is not enough for us to store up for the next day, week or month. God gives us everything we need to face the challenges of the day ahead of us and our ability to look out for these provisions rather than worry about the past or the future ensures we can make the most of the present that God offers us called Today.
After all that’s why the writer of Hebrews in chapter three stresses the importance of protecting each other from conceit and unbelief by encouraging each other every day as long as it’s called today. It is amazing how often I take things for granted and never realise just how vulnerable I am to sly attacks to distract from what I’m meant to be doing today. Thank God for His Word then that instructs us on how we can do what we do in a way pleasing to Him and avoiding the many pitfalls that are so easy to fall into. We depend on God every day and need to verbalise that dependence throughout the day so as to be able to walk in the provisions that He’s made for every day.
For His Name's Sake
Shalom
da man cd
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