February 10
“Give us this day our daily bread.”
In the Fourth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer, we are praying for temporal and material blessing. We might ask, “Why does God ask us to pray for our daily bread when He gives daily bread even to those who never pray for it?” In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust,” Matthew 5:45. The psalmist pictures all creatures with outstretched necks, looking to the Lord for food. “The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing,” Psalm 145:15-16. Why does God want us to pray for our daily bread? He wants us to recognize Him as the Giver of all blessings, and we should be moved to thank Him.
What is meant by “daily bread”? It includes everything that belongs to the support and needs of the body. We should ask for “our” daily bread – that is, the food for which we work and which we provide honestly. Scripture states, “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies,” 2 Thessalonians 3:10-11. If you are physically and mentally capable, you should work and earn an honest living. We should not just stand in line for a handout!
With the words “daily” and “this day,” we are reminded that we should be satisfied with having what we need each day. In his First Epistle to Timothy, Paul wrote, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content,” 1 Timothy 6:6-8.
In the Book of Proverbs, the author wrote: “Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): Remove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches – feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny You, and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God,” Proverbs 30:7-9. The author is saying, “Please, God, don’t make me poor and don’t make me rich. Give me only as much as I can honestly handle!” If we are rich, we are tempted to forget about God and ask, “Who needs God?” If we are poor, we are tempted to steal and bring shame upon the name of God.
Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble,” Matthew 6:33-34. First give your attention to spiritual matters. Then trust God’s promises to give you the things necessary for this life.
We are told not to worry about tomorrow. We should plan for the future, but we should not worry about the future. There is a difference between planning and worrying. Every day has enough problems of its own; don’t add to the problems by worrying!
Commit your life and all your needs into the hands of your loving God. God gave His Son, Jesus, to be your Savior from sin, death, and the devil, and by faith in Jesus you receive His promise of eternal life. He also promises to give you what you need for this life. Trust Him!