Daily Bread

The next line of the Lord's Prayer is this: Give us this day, our daily bread.

As many of us know (and for those of you that don't) this is a call back to the time when Israel wondered the desert for 40 years.  Each day, God would provide them with mana - which could be made into bread: hence DAILY bread.

In the Lord's Prayer, we say this.

But what do we mean?

Remember, Jesus also once said that man doesn't live by bread alone.  So, are we praying for our daily bread?  True bread?  Or spiritual bread?  Or what kind of bread?

I've heard it preached both ways...and that's exactly what I think it's supposed to be: both.

We are not only praying for our spiritual daily bread...that which we spiritually will live on, but also that we trust God will provide for us.

Exactly how?  That's up to God - that's what we are to trust him with.

But instead of asking God how, we should be asking ourselves if we ARE trusting God to give us our daily bread -whichever we may need daily.

Just today I put some money into my savings account - you know, for the future.  Of course, this means that in the future, should I need it, I am trusting that my BANK will provide me with this money.  But in reality: what might I need this money for?

Certainly I'm not putting it in the bank, under a savings account in MY name, for the poor.  That wasn't the reason for the account.  No, it was for ME.

I put away that money for when I need it.  But what might I need it for?  Car tires?  House payment? In other words: things of this world?

Will I use ANY of this money for someone who is in true need?

I don't know.  I would like to say, YES!  But at the moment, I really don't know.

But I know what I SHOULD do.

So am I really trusting God to give me my daily bread?  In any form?

If I am honest with myself, I have to say no.

No.  I make plans, just in case.  Even spiritually.  If God doesn't come through (as I believe he should) then I have my back up plans - just in case.

Money wise - I truly don't believe God will come through with what I need - after all, I NEED my movies and my car, and my house, and my....and the list goes on.  But do I really need them?

Does anyone?

What are we really praying for here?  Needs or wants?

Do we trust God to provide - however he deems fit, and with what he deems needed?

I don't know that I honestly say that I am.

But I do know that I want to.

And that takes quite a leap of faith - to trust God at his word.

So maybe I will try and change this part of the prayer.  Instead of praying for my daily bread, I will pray for accepting my daily bread.  Because, when it comes down to it -that exactly what I DON'T do - accept my daily bread.

I always want more...for just in case....