Give us today our daily bread. Matthew 6:11 (NIV)

Fifty years ago, the first Price Club opened in San Diego, it was followed by Costco, Sam’s Clubs, and a few others. The era of the big box club store began where people could buy foods and other products in great quantity at discount prices. The savings might be great, but would you be able to use them all before they expired? It is only a savings if it doesn’t go to waste.

Israel faced a similar dilemma in the wilderness. They complained to Moses that they were starving, and God in turn sent them manna from heaven. But talk about a short shelf life. If they tried to “stock up” on manna, it would be rancid and full of worms the next morning, except before the Sabbath.

Over the last 30 years, churchgoing patterns have shifted dramatically. Previously, attending church three times a month was considered regular.  In recent years, “regular” means someone who shows up roughly once every 4 to 6 weeks. Prayer and Bible reading habits have also similarly declined.

When God provided manna in the wilderness, and when Jesus taught the disciples to pray, “Give us today our daily bread,” it was a recognition of humanity’s need for regular physical and spiritual nourishment. Sadly, “the average churchgoer” does not starve their body like they starve their spirit.

You cannot make up for poor nutritional habits by eating everything in sight, once a month. When Jesus taught the disciples how to pray, he was telling them to ask for and rely upon the daily provision of God, not only for body, but also for soul and spirit. This will allow us not only to survive, but to thrive in all aspects of life.

Bread of Heaven

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, Moses didn’t give you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” John 6:32–33 (CSB)

Moses was not the source of manna from heaven, and like many other things in the Old Testament, it was a shadow of what was to come. Jesus was the true bread from heaven. Manna supplied nutrition for the peoples’ bodily needs, but something greater was coming.

Quoting the Torah, Jesus replied to Satan: “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4 (NLT). It took the disciples a little bit of time to understand that true bread from heaven was greater than natural bread. They wondered why Jesus wasn’t hungry when he was with the woman in Samaria. Jesus replied: “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.” It is safe to say that most people reading this blog today are not concerned about the supply of daily physical bread. We have more than enough, however, do we hunger for the Bread of Heaven?

We enjoy eating a good meal. Do we have the same hunger for the word of God? Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became a delight to me and the joy of my heart, for I bear your name, Lord God of Armies. Jeremiah 15:16 (CSB). For many of us going several hours without food causes us hunger pains. How long can we go without feasting on God’s word? His words give us life, and we need the Bread of Heaven to remain spiritually healthy.

Find the Rhythm

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Matthew 11:28–29 (MSG)

Certainly, we have all noticed that there are some activities that bring great joy to some people while others consider it to be burdensome. Take exercise for example, there are those that just can’t wait to get to the gym every day to strengthen their bodies. For others, the thought of exercise is repulsive.

In the same way, there are some who find delight in God’s word, while others find the discipline of daily time in the word and prayer to be very difficult. How does someone go from one to the other?

Some people are inspired by someone else who sets the example. A few people may be self-motivated. But the best way is when someone comes alongside us, not only setting the example, but working with us. In Matthew 11 Jesus said come to me. He not only shows us rest, but he also invites us to take his yoke and to learn from him.

Eugene Peterson, translates this as “Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” It is when we find the rhythm, that the discipline of spiritual exercise becomes a part of our lives. When we do something every day, we gain the benefits. But when we are erratic and sporadic in our rhythm, it can become quite a challenge. So, let’s find the rhythm.

Every Day

Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. Acts 2:46–47 (CSB)

For the early Christians, there was a strong connection between eating together their daily bread but also nourishing themselves on the Bread of Heaven. Perhaps today the people of God find it impractical to meet every day to share the bread together, both natural and spiritual. But it was undeniable what God was doing in the church at that time. There was revival and people were being saved and delivered every day. Give us today our daily bread.

Steve Ekeroth