Daily Bread

“But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4 NAS

Bread is the substance of life. It is seen in our culture and our customs. When we work, we are ‘making bread.’ When we share fellowship over food, we are ‘breaking bread.’ Jesus referred to Himself as the Bread of Life, and promised that if we came to Him we would no longer hunger. Jesus taught His disciples to pray: Our Father…give us, THIS DAY, our daily bread.

When the children of Israel gathered manna in the desert, they were told to ONLY gather what was needed for the day. Some of them were disobedient, and gathered for the next day, as well. Their surplus became wormy and putrid. Why? Because, God knew that it would be necessary for us to come to Him daily for bread, our fresh word, from His heart.

By reading the scriptures, we learn so much about God. We learn how He thinks, how He works. We learn of His ways, and this His ways are higher than our ways. We learn what His will is and what He wants from us.

There will be times in our lives that we face things that are hard. Situations where there is no win. Life changes that frighten us to our very core. Losses that threaten to completely undo us. Then our hearts cry out: Lord! Give us, THIS DAY, our daily bread. In answer, God sends His manna, His word of life for that moment, for that challenge, for that situation. BY HIS SPIRIT He breathes that word into our hearts; and, when we receive this Manna from heaven, we are changed. By that word, faith arises. Confidence that we are not facing our challenges alone fills our being. We are no longer broken; but empowered. Empowered to face ANY Goliath that may be attempting to undo us. We are empowered to do the impossible, to go forward when there is no way forward.

This is the miracle of Manna from heaven. This is the mystery of Christ in us. This is the miracle of His word alive and living and active in our hearts. The word spoken, by God, to our hearts, by His spirit. And this is why Jesus taught us to look to Heaven and pray: Give us, this day, our daily bread.
Jesus is the living bread that comes down out of Heaven and gives life unto the world. And He is the One who brings His Word like fresh bread to us each day!

~ Debbie Ecker