The Rhythm of Daily Bread

We say these words every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer. “Give us this day our daily bread.” The phrase ushers us back into the story of the Exodus and how God sustained the lives of the Israelites in the desert with daily manna from heaven.  However, it’s not just a story from the Bible.  This is the perspective on life that Jesus has taught us to pray for.  Daily bread is the rhythm of life God wants for us.  He wants us to live in daily conscious dependence on Him.  It’s a beautiful way to live and… easier said than done!  

In so many cultures around the world, a visit to the marketplace is a daily event.  What is bought that day is eaten that day.  If money is tight, the visit may only happen a few times a week.  What does it mean for us in America to get into the rhythm of daily bread in our lives?  It’s so easy to take for granted the gift of nourishment.  We become accustomed to supermarkets filled with food and dumpsters filled with what we do not eat. It makes it hard for us to appreciate the fact that God supplies us with what we need for our body and lives.  Without him, we do not survive.

We begin to catch the daily bread rhythm with an appreciation for our food, but it extends far beyond that.  There are many other aspects of our lives that function like daily bread. God supplies for us the ability to work and make money.  He supplies us with family and systems of support for our lives. God gives us his word that comes to us through Bible study, worship, and in our prayerful moments as the word he has implanted in our hearts speaks truth to us.  Truly, every moment is a gift from God.  

With the rhythm of daily bread established, now we can see how God’s provision gives us guidance for how to live.  God does not waste what he gives us, so we can look at what he has given us and trust that he wants us to use that provision for the sake of his mission. In fact, this is how we run our church! God provides for our congregation through the people he has brought together to be his body here. Through their collected efforts, talents, and financial resources, we are able to conduct ministries together that could never happen otherwise.  If God should provide less for the congregation, then we would scale back and do less. If God would provide more for the congregation, we would be reminded of what Jesus said, “to whom much is given, much is expected” (Luke 12:48).  We would get busy using God’s resources to bless more people.

In that way, the rhythm of daily bread can beat quickly or slowly.  Remember, God is the drummer.  Our job is to take whatever he has given and use it to be a blessing to others. Perhaps now is a good time to look at how God has blessed you and how you can use those blessings for the sake of others. Maybe you are entering into a new season in life and expectations for your time have changed, allowing more or less time for the collective work of the church.  Perhaps you have a talent that has been waiting in the wings and now is a time to allow that talent to be used for the sake of the church. 

Now would also be a good time to look at your financial resources and to assess the contributions you make to your church.  Your daily bread becomes your church’s daily bread!  Maybe God is nudging you to step up and support the work we do together in a more significant way.  Pray about it.  In fact, pray about all of it. Every moment of every day, God is providing daily bread for you.  Take time during this month to open your eyes to see the miracle of daily bread all around you. Give thanks to God for his amazing gift, and boldly pray the Lord’s Prayer again with even more gratitude in your heart. 

Give us this day our daily bread.  Thank you God!