Shade Tree Wisdom 1/29/13

         

"Give us this day our daily bread”.

          We have prayed that daily, often many times, and too often just by rote without thought to what we are saying, don’t we? Because God is faithful and we sort of take the daily bread for granted.

          When Moses blessed the children of Israel before his death (See Deuteronomy 33), he said to Asher, “As thy day, so shall thy strength be”.v.25.. Notice the condition? “For this day.” The promise is that the Lord will be there to supply what is needed for that bit of time.

          One of the bits of history when the Lord provided manna in the wilderness is that God provided manna a day at a time. They were told to gather just enough for the day, except on Friday when they gathered for two days. Some did not listen and gathered a weeks supply only to find what they did not need and use that day was rotten, bad, it ‘stank’;.

          So, right after Jesus taught His disciples the Lord’s prayer, He added, “Therefore do not worry saying, “what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear.” After all  these things the Gentiles seek, for your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

          “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you… sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6, 31-34.

          St. Paul reminds us of God’s grace, “God is able to make all grace abound to you, that you, having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9,8.

          So we dare to pray with confidence, “Give us this day our daily bread” with a peaceful knowledge that God will do it.

GPD 1/29/13