Friday, January 15, 2010

Daily Bread

GiveUsOurDailyBreadBowl Then the Lord said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you.  The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day."  Exodus 16:4a 

 "This then is how you should pray:  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us today our daily bread..."  Matthew 6:9-11

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." Matthew 6:34a

Because of the Lord's great love for us, we are not consumed, for his passion never fails.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  Lamentations 3:22-23

So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you?  What will you do?  Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: He gave them bread from heaven to eat." Jesus said to them, " I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."  "Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread."  Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life."  John 6:30-35a

Do you see the connection here?   The Bible Study group I attend focused on this theme this week and I can't get it out of my head, which is a good thing for sure.  God provided for the needs of the Israelites as they traveled out of Egypt through the wilderness by giving them meat every night and manna every morning.  He instructed them to take only enough manna for the day's need.  They were not to hoard it up for the week, just one day at a time.  God provided new manna each day.  If it was hoarded and kept longer, it spoiled.  Just worry about one day at a time seemed to be the message.  God would provide.  

We looked at different verses which talked about daily provision, some I have listed here.  It seems so simple a message, live our days one day at a time.  Do not worry about tomorrow.  Do not try to laden our shoulders with the stresses and to-dos for the week.  Take one day at a time.  God will give us what we need for each day.  But that does not mean we can just sit and expect it to be handed to us.  The children of God had to leave their tents every morning to go and gather the manna for the day.  God provided, but they had to go gather it.

 Now that spoke straight to my heart!  Why is it so hard for me to simply go to God every morning and ask for his grace and provision for that day?   It doesn't always need to be done in a 30 minute devotion.  It doesn't always need to be done on my knees beside my bed.  I can talk to him while I eat breakfast.  I can pray to him when I am drying my hair.  The point is, God is with me every day, offering his grace and daily bread.  How often I just jump into the day, trudge through it and wake up the next day to do the same thing, finding myself exhausted and overwhelmed?  Too often!  

This is a new challenge for me this year.  To take one day at a time.  To ask God for his provision, strength and grace for each day.  To give him my cares, my worries, my concerns each day.   And when I wake up in the morning, to let go of yesterday and start fresh for that day.  I know even with my best effort, I will forget and lose my footing, but praise God that his mercy is new every morning and his faithfulness never ends.

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