Sustenance      

Wednesday, June 21

Sustenance       

Give us this day our daily bread… Matthew 6:11 

Jesus, in His teachings, instructs us to pray for daily sustenance, symbolized by the request for “daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). While Jesus was not solely emphasizing physical bread, it held significant meaning for His disciples. Bread served as a staple food in the Jewish diet for generations, carrying a profound symbolic value as a representation of God’s provision throughout the Old Testament. Reflecting on the Israelites’ journey in the wilderness after their liberation from Egypt, we witness their hardships and complaints about their food supply. Responding to their discontent, God made a promise to “rain bread from heaven” (Exodus 16:4). The following morning, as the dew lifted, a peculiar substance appeared on the ground—”small round flakes, like frost…resembling coriander seed, with a taste like wafers made with honey” (Exodus 16:14, 31). This miraculous provision of bread from heaven demonstrated God’s care for His people. Thus, when we pray for daily bread, we recognize the profound significance of God’s provision, just as He sustained His people with miraculous bread in the wilderness.

The petition of the Lord’s Prayer then, as recorded in Matthew 6:11, teaches us to come to God in a spirit of humble dependence, asking Him to provide what we need and to sustain us from day to day.

Today, God still promises to provide for us our daily needs. This petition of the Lord’s Prayer, then, teaches us to come to God in a spirit of humble dependence, asking Him to provide what we need and to sustain us from day to day. We are not given license to ask for great riches, but we are encouraged to make our needs known to Him, trusting that He will provide.

Prayer for today: O Lord, my Provider, give me this my daily bread. Lord, I pray for your great provision over my daily physical needs. Help me to trust in your provision each and every day. Ease my anxiety and worry and help me to trust in you. For You are great and mighty and loving and know exactly what we need. Lord, give us this day our daily bread and help me trust that you know best for my life. Amen.