In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus points to our daily need. “Give us today our daily bread.” Our daily need for bread, for sustenance, points to a deeper daily need for God…indeed….a deeper need for Jesus in our lives. This request for daily bread keeps our relationship with Jesus in the present tense. We will need God just as much tomorrow as we are in need of His provision of nourishment, protection, and guidance today.
I tell my wife that my greatest need is for passion and peace in my life. That passion encompasses my relationships, my “work”, my music and everything I do.
Each day, present your needs to Him. Be thankful for His provision. I believe that it is a misconception to think that we provide for our needs ourselves. God gives us our ability to work and earn money to buy our food. He gives us the “gifts”, the skills that we need to sustain life each day.
The great theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer tells us in his timeless book, The Cost of Discipleship, “If Christ has been given us, if we are called to his discipleship we are given all things, literally ALL things. He will see to it that they are added unto us. If we follow Jesus and look only to His righteousness, we are in his hands and under the protection of Him and His Father. And if we are in communion with the Father, nought can harm us. God will help us in the hour of need, and He knows our needs.”
Again, we will need God just as much tomorrow as we are in need of His provision of nourishment, protection, and guidance today. Be thankful !
Matthew 6:9-13 [TNIV, This is Jesus speaking]
9 This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
May you rely each day on Jesus, on God, to provide your needs. May you use the gifts and the skills that He has given you to help yourself and to help others. And, may you recognize your daily need for relationship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in your life.