Daily Verse: Luke 11:3

“Give us each day our daily bread”

The words above, spoken by Christ, are included in the popular Lord’s Prayer that most, if not all of us, are very familiar with. And it’s very likely that we prayed these words at least once in our lives. The words were given by Christ to the disciples when they asked him to teach them how to pray…to teach them how to communicate with the Father as Jesus was communicating at the time. The interesting thing about the short prayer above, is that it seems to highlight two things: 1) Our blessings in life come from the Lord; and 2) We are to be content in our lives with what the Father provides. Imagine if tomorrow, we awoke to find our home gone, our vehicles missing, our iPads, TVs, and computers vanished, and our closets empty of the clothes that once packed the shelves…but there before us stood a modest table with a meal prepared for our consumption…our daily bread. Would we give thanks to the Lord or would we focus on what we had lost, grumbling at our circumstances, possibly even shaking a fist at the Lord for the predicament we found ourselves in? And what if God were able to respond from heaven in a booming voice, “You asked for your daily bread, so that is what I provided”. Would we be happy, joyful, content? Probably not…largely because much of our peace, comfort, and joy in life is tied to the “things” in our world…to the material comforts we have accumulated. But the text in Luke seems to give us a different direction…implying that perhaps our joy should be tied in the Lord and the Lord alone. And with the Lord providing the simple food that we need to stay alive, we should be content…We have our Lord and we have a meal to eat. That is all that is needed. Period. Similar to the words Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11-13, “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Thankfully, our Lord does not put us to that test each day, but instead showers us with SO MUCH more beyond the simple daily bread, allowing us to be comfortable…a roof over our heads, nice vehicles to drive, clothes on our backs, and loads of gadgets to keep us entertained. So today, when we pray the words above, may we take the time to reflect on how much more our Lord has provided beyond the simple daily bread…and take the time to give him praise for each and every gift we have received. To God be the glory!