8. November 2012 19:15
If you have spent much time in Church, you undoubtedly have heard and said the Lord’s prayer many times. Reading and memorizing God’s Word in the Bible is a very import part of growing as a Christian. Even more important then memorizing, is understanding God’s Word. This week I have been thinking about the Lord’s prayer, specifically Matthew 6:11 – “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”. I never took part in the Adkins diet craze because frankly, I like carbs. I like bread, and I’d like to have some daily. I’m pretty sure this is not the only thing Jesus meant by this passage though. Let’s take a closer look..
A) During our time on this side of Heaven, we are dependent on physical bodies. Without food, our physical body will die. So we do need our daily bread as sustenance and nourishment for our body. Shortly after the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus instructs us not to worry about food or cloths, instead to trust in the Lord (Matthew 6:25-26). The New Living Translation for Matthew 6:11 translates this verse more literally to this point; “Give us our food for today”. I believe we can conclude that Jesus is telling us the will provide our daily food if we ask for it.
b) Now what other daily bread do we need? If we skip ahead to the book of John, we will see Jesus describing himself as the living bread (John 6:51-58). He is the living bread which will allow us to live forever (with Him in heaven) if we eat His flesh and drink His blood (believe in Him, confess our sins, and live our life for Him).
Wait a minute, now that sounds like were talking about becoming a Christian, which we typically only do once and communion which we typically do once a month. Why then are we praying for daily bread? Our Lord Jesus Christ lived a perfect life on earth. This is how he was able to take the punishment for our sins when He died on the cross. I am far from perfect and need his forgiveness daily. I also need my daily bread, Jesus Christ, with me daily as my guiding light to show me the way and help me when things get tough.
Our God is Omnipotent & Omnipresent. He wants to and will provide for our every need, he just wants us to trust Him to do it. Put your trust in the Lord. Ask Him to provide your daily bread, & live your life for Him. You will be amazed by the things He will do in your life if you give Him the opportunity.