“Give us today our daily bread.”
Do you remember when the Lord warned the Israelites in the wilderness not to take more manna than their daily ration?
In Exodus 16, “Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of the manna until morning.” However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell.”
This was a lesson in trust. The Israelites were to trust the Lord to provide what they needed each day of their lives. Yet, some rebelled and tried to hoard the bread. No doubt, they were leaning on their own understanding rather than trusting in the Lord. They were putting their security in the bread rather than in the baker.
We have it written on our American currency, “In God we trust.” Yet in the same manner of the Israelites, we are often tempted to greedily grab all that we can, demonstrating where our trust and security truly lie.
Jesus taught, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear… your heavenly Father knows that you need them” (Mat. 6). God wants us to know and experience that He is a Father who deeply loves us and He is capable of providing for our needs.
This prayer is about pursuing an attitude and posture of trust in God. This does not mean that we will not work hard. God will provide jobs and various service opportunities to work hard and exercise the gifts and skills that He has given us. Yet, this prayer is about having an ongoing a heart of peace and rest in God’s ongoing and capable provision.
Much more than financial and physical provision, God provides the nourishment that we need for our souls. We wander through this spiritual wilderness of a world looking for something to satisfy our thirsty and hungry souls. We long to be fulfilled spiritually and often hoard and hang on to sinful practices in effort to obtain our next meal only to see rotting results. To pray this prayer is to acknowledge that “my nourishment comes from doing the will of God” (Jn. 4:34) and that Jesus truly is the bread of life (Jn. 6:35).
Father, help me to trust You in all of my ways. Please give me a heart of compassion for those who do not have enough to eat on a daily basis and those who do not know You. Help me to see how I can use the resources that You have graciously given me to lovingly help others. May I always remember that true nourishment in life comes from You. Give us today our daily bread.