Week 5

When we began this devotional journey through Lent and the Lord’s Prayer less than a month ago, none of us knew what the following weeks would reveal. As we “shelter in place,”  all of us have no doubt taken inventory of what is in the cupboard.  We have done as much as possible to secure what we need for today, tomorrow, and the days to come.  Through this prayer Jesus reminds us of another staple: the Bread of Life.

 

Our Bread of Life -   Throughout scripture bread is an indicator of the ways God provides for his people.  Jesus declared three times that He is the “Living Bread of Life” (John 6:35, 48, 51) and that whoever comes to him would “never go hungry.”  On the night he was betrayed, Jesus took bread and broke it as a timeless symbol that His body would be broken to give us real life for now and eternity! Jesus is who we really need to sustain our lives in every way and every day. 

 

Our Daily Bread -  When God’s people were traversing the desert and food shortages were inevitable,  God provided “bread from heaven” one day at a time.  When the people of Israel tried to stockpile for the next day, their hoarded food spoiled overnight. Likewise, our life with God is meant to be lived with daily trust: something renewed day by day, intimate, and expressed from a humble heart that recognizes that  God alone is ultimately our Jehovah Jireh, our “God who provides.”

Sharing the Bread -  The prayer is  not “g ive me  MY  bread” but  “give us OUR bread.” It is plural.  We are part of a worldwide community that God loves and longs to bring together in unity! Thousands of our brothers and sisters in Africa are being restricted to their rural mud homes where supermarket options or well-supported  healthcare  providers are rare or non-existent. We are all facing this COVID-19 threat in our own unique ways. Maybe the inconveniences we are facing in the USA today can inspire our hearts to experience increased compassion that leads to joy- filled actions for those in poverty who struggle each and every day for their basic needs. 

 

God loves you and celebrates every minute you choose to meet Him in prayer. Take a moment right now and examine where you find your daily provision and peace. Humbly thank Him for what you have, taking nothing for granted.  Earnestly ask that He provide once again not only for your provision but also for those worldwide who cry out in prayer, “Give us today our daily bread.”  Open your heart to the possibility that  God may want you to be the channel through which He answers that prayer and  for you  to feel His joy in the sharing.

Celebrating the Bread of Life,

Don

Don Rogers

ELI Founder/CVO