Our Daily Bread

One of the problems with learning to memorize Bible verses from an early age is that sometimes the words become so commonplace we forget to delve into the depths of their meaning, or we are too immature to understand the importance of the them. When I was a little girl, I loved the story of Joseph. Not because it was about God’s plan for Israel or about a brother who forgave, submitting his poor treatment by his siblings to the work of the Lord. I liked it because the younger brother got one over on the older ones. I almost wanted to stick my tongue out and tell my sisters I’d be ruling over them one day—like Joseph. (Yes, I am the youngest).

Oh, the simplicity of youth.

Of course I see the story differently now as I pray with my sisters in time of need or rejoice at how God is using them. But when I was younger, I didn’t understand.

There are many things in the Bible that plagued me because of this lack of maturity. One had always been the word “daily” in The Lord’s Prayer. Why would we only pray for our daily bread when there is a lifetime of bread to be had?

Really!

It always seemed a little short-sighted to me. Did God want us to eat other foods on other days? I’m guessing not, since we’re expected to pray the prayer on a regular basis.

In fact, that’s the reason for the daily bread prayer in the first place. Think about it. If God gave us all we wanted on that first day, or if we only needed to pray for a lifetime of bread in one sitting, would we go back to Him tomorrow? I’m sorry to say I don’t think I would. And as a result, I’d miss out on a daily relationship with Him.

So, I pray for my bread (whether literal or figurative) every morning, and expect He will provide it. Then, tomorrow, I drop to my knees, hang out with the Lord for a while, and ask for it again. I’m beginning to like these visits with the King, requesting what only He can give, because I find, in the time I spend with Him, I receive so much more.

Other posts you might like:

You Are Holy

Is God Teaching You Patience or Praise?

Do You Have a Get-in-the-Chair Kind of Faith?