“…Give us this day our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11
Dear Ones:
We are apt to think that God’s closeness, and our awareness of His presence and power, is primarily revealed by great interventions in our circumstances, or in those of others. But in reality, when we consider that our greatest calling is to fellowship with God, in Christ, by the Spirit, we are brought back to the very fundamental aspect of this communion with God. It is that of Him literally speaking to our hearts, revealing Himself to us through His word. The question then arises, “What is the difference between what we read in the word of God, and Him speaking through the word?” The answer has to do with what Paul was speaking when he wrote to the Corinthians: “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” (1 Cor. 2:4) As Jesus spoke so long ago, so He speaks today, taking the objective word of God, the truth, and speaking with authority, and power. It is as He declared, “…the words that I speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (Jn. 6:63)
Bread is essential to life. Spiritual bread, Christ Himself, is essential if we are to live by His eternal life. But how does this living Bread communicate to us in a manner that we recognize Him? How does God reveal Himself to us on a daily basis? God speaks life-giving words to us in and through His objective word. God has not changed since the days of Samuel. In Samuel’s day, in a day of great spiritual need in Israel, “…the Lord appeared again in Shiloh: for the Lord revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh BY THE WORD OF THE LORD.” (1 Sam. 3:21) God’s way of revealing Himself to an individual, is the same as revealing Himself to a nation. It is by His living word being spoken in clarity and power.
Prior to Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection, and the day of Pentecost, He taught His disciples certain essential truths about the Spirit that the Father would give to believers. This Comforter would be eternally present, abiding with and in the believer. He would be the Spirit of truth, who would, “…teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (Jn.14:26) He would also be that One who would, “…testify of Me.” (15:26) And finally, “…He will guide you into all truth” (Jn. 16:13) “He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show, or reveal, it to you.” (16:14) There is no doubt that since the outpouring of the Spirit “…upon all flesh,” the day of Pentecost, His ministry has been exactly what Jesus said it would be. Essentially, it would be one of taking the truth of God, instructing the believer in the meaning of it, and then leading accordingly. How does He do this? He does so by giving us “fresh daily bread.” God reveals Himself to the believer, wherever he may be, by making the objective word live. The word of God comes alive by virtue of the Spirit’s ministry of that word.
Why does Jesus speak of bread that needs to be “daily?” Though essential to our bodies is physical nourishment, greater is the soul’s need to hear the voice of God to his heart. It is by Him speaking to us, whose mercies are new (fresh) every morning, that He becomes and remains a reality to us. What then is to be our confidence, the certainty that He will speak to our hearts, and that we will understand when He speaks?
First of all, the Lord instructs us to PRAY for daily bread to be given from heaven. The Lord Jesus has done everything that this should be understood, and practiced. Secondly, we know that if we pray according to His will, “…we know that He hears us,” (1 Jn. 5:14), and will answer us. And lastly, when Jesus took the five loaves and two fish to feed the five thousand, He gave thanks to the Father. The thankful heart is the expectant heart.
Dear Father, Speak to us by the Spirit, today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad