Throughout my life as a Christian, I have found that The Lord's Prayer has always imparted comfort, strength, and peace in the midst of all that this world brings against my faith. It offers so much instruction and wisdom; each verse highlighting an important precept that is the foundation of our hope in God. But for so long, I have been drawn to the part of the prayer that asks Him to "Give us this day our daily bread"...
I have instinctively understood that it is more than about a daily provision of food to sustain us. I see the connection to the manna God gave the Israelites in the desert. And I know Jesus refers to Himself as the Bread of Life. But my spirit also recognizes the complexity and wonder of our God, and how He weaves deeper meanings into His text and encourages us to "connect the dots" to reveal more of His heart in His personal relationships with us.
So, I invite you to consider some of my thoughts that show just how awe-inspiring is the mind and the love of God for those He's created and with whom He seeks reconciliation. Understanding the fullness of His concept of "Daily Bread" is especially significant during this Holy Season of Passover and Easter. Bread plays an important part in our services and traditions, as well as representing Jesus's atoning sacrifice. So, let's dive into the reasons we ask for "our daily bread".
The most obvious, of course, is the fact that it sustains life. One of the clearest pictures of this is in Exodus when the Israelites are cursed to wander in the desert for 40 years because of their doubt and unbelief in the promises of God to enter into the Promised Land. They find themselves hungry, and their store of food is running low. Even in the midst of their complaining against Moses, Aaron, and God, Himself, God still promises to provide. He announces to Moses the coming of "bread from Heaven" ... Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you! The people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not."
At this point, it is important that we see the connection between what we call the Old Testament and the New Testament regarding the bread from Heaven. Even in the midst of their complaining, God shows His glory and provides them with life-giving sustenance, though they did not recognize it. They even ask Moses what the substance was that rained down each morning, fine as frost on the ground. Moses responds: "This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat." And they called it Manna.
This manna, this bread from heaven, is a powerful picture of Jesus, Himself. After the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus had a discussion with people who wanted Him to keep feeding them with His miraculous power of provision. They wanted Jesus to provide for them just like Israel was provided for, with manna in the wilderness. This is what Jesus replied to them: Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the True bread from heaven. For bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. (John 6:32-33).
This is an important point about understanding why Jesus asks us to pray for our "daily bread". When we pray for daily bread, we are recognizing that God is the Source of our provision. Yes, God encourages us to pray for what we need, but we must never forget that He is the Source of our provision. We must come to realize that it is not our job, or how much money we have in the bank, that supplies our every need. So when we pray give us this day our daily bread, we are proclaiming that we are relying on, and trusting in, God to provide what we need. It's part of our sacred relationship with Him ... we are exhibiting our trust and faith in Him; and in turn, gives Him the opportunity to prove His faithfulness to us.
As I have shared in the past, I went through a season of learning to cast off my doubt and unbelief [that God would provide our needs] when my husband began a new career. I was acting just like the Israelites, and this time in my life truly felt like I was wandering in the desert! It was seven long years in which I had to daily learn to trust that God knew our needs and would provide. I believe that just like He did with the Israelites, God was testing me; whether I could be consistent in trusting Him daily, even on those days that His provision seemed small and not forthcoming. Just as God sent just enough manna to feed the Israelites for a day, [and they had to gather more each morning], God always gave Mark and I "just enough" to meet our financial needs.
He was teaching me that I could depend on Him for fresh provision, as I remembered that He always knew what we needed, how much we needed, and His provision was always on time! But now He was teaching me to trust Him not only for my physical needs, but my spiritual needs, as well! I will never forget hearing Him whisper to me during one particular struggle, If you will be faithful to Me, I will be faithful to you. I learned [and am still learning] to trust in my God for what I need and what is best for me in order to maintain that faithful relationship with Him. I have learned to depend on Him -- not on myself, and not on the world. He is My Source of Life! And that is why Jesus refers to Himself as the Bread of Life!
There is a powerful scene that explains the spiritual implications of Jesus as our Daily Bread and our Bread of Life. In John, Chapter 6, Jesus has just performed the miracle of feeding the 5,000 with only 5 barley loaves and two fish. But only a day later, the crowd has seemingly forgotten this sign of who Jesus is, reminding Him that "Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat' ... what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform"? That's when Jesus reminds them that the bread of God is "He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world ... I am the bread of life." The bread of God is not the physical bread [or manna] that met the physical needs in the wilderness, but the spiritual provision that meets all our needs and gives us eternal life through our faith in Jesus.
Another important aspect that is often overlooked in the John passage is when the miracle of the 5,000 happens. "Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand" (John 6:3-4). For more than a thousand years, the Jews had celebrated Passover (remembering when God delivered them from bondage in Egypt, and they were protected by the blood of a sacrificial lamb on their doorposts). Because they were leaving in haste, God instructed them to make loaves of unleavened bread to provide sustenance during their flight.
During subsequent celebrations of the festival of Passover, loaves of bread (called shewbread -- loaves of presentation) were consecrated [dedicated] to the Lord every Sabbath, and were always present on a table in the tabernacle (and later in the Temple). The bread could only be eaten by the Priests, at which time, these loaves were not cut, but broken as they were presented as a memorial food offering to the Lord; in remembrance of His provision of food throughout their history.
We can see the dots being connected in the Word regarding the significance of physical and spiritual "bread" ... from the flight from Egypt; to the sustenance during their wandering in the Wilderness; to the appearance of Jesus as the True Bread of Life. But unlike the people gathered on the mountain that day, we must not demand that Jesus constantly give us evidence of who He is, or of His presence in our lives. We must trust Him DAILY; we must understand that by calling Himself "the bread of life", and directing us to partake of His flesh and His blood, He was offering us eternal life -- meaning we must DAILY hunger and thirst after Him, receiving the spiritual provision He offers us through our unrelenting and consistent faith in Him.
As we celebrate the Holy season of Passover and Easter, will you daily eat of the bread of life? Will you ask for [and receive] the spiritual sustenance that Jesus offers in His promise of Eternal Life? And will you share what it cost our Lord, [through the breaking of His body and the shedding of His blood] to provide this opportunity for Eternal Life to others? God has never failed to provide for those who trust and obey Him. Let us be daily reminded of the Love, Grace, Mercy, and Salvation that has been offered to us, and which, if we remain faithful, will afford us "the true Bread of Life", Eternal Life.
John 6:27 Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures [and leads] to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you; for God the Father has authorized Him and put His seal on Him.
