Matthew 6: 11&12 ” Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”
” Give us this day our daily bread” is almost poetic, so much so, that its significance can easily be overlooked. In verses 25 – 34 of the same chapter, Jesus goes into much detail regarding our physical needs. From that discussion I want to quote verse 26, though I would encourage you to read it all. ” Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. How much more value are you than they? ” I enjoy praying in the grass/Oak tree preserves where I live, and in the winter I am impressed by all the weeds and trees that bare seed in that time. The little birds look quite well fed – supposedly during a time of year that little is to be found. Therefore I can see how God has created nature, with her growing, fruiting and seed time to provide for His creatures. The question of provision is answered here in verse 11,” Give us our ‘daily’ bread.” Epiousios is the Greek word for “daily,” made up of two compound words, “epi,” to rest upon and ” ousia” meaning substance or provision. Combining the meanings and using the word as an adjective, means to ” rest upon (The Lord) for our daily substance.
Another interpretation of “rest upon,” is to trust. “For the birds do not sow or reap,” but they do search for their Creator’s provisions. And so for us, the example of the birds, something so insignificant as them, yet they are so well provided for, a lesson for us to note. Man is uniquely made in the “image of God,” (Salem – Hebrew for likeness or image) separate from all of God’s other creations. How much more “value” are we? In Genesis 1:25 & 26 we read “God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. Then God said, Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground “…vs. 30 ” and every green herb…, and God saw that it was good.” God goes through much detail to explain how man differs from the rest of His creation and what his role is in creation. Creation (creatures) were created after “their kind,” but we were created after our kind, the ” image” or “likeness” of God (likeness – separate but similar in thought and emotion, at least originally). Therefore if provision is made for creation, how much more are we the “apple of His eye.”
The problem we have of trusting God for our provision is because we really do not know Him or experience His love for us. Therefore we do not realize “how much more value are you than they.” Maybe now after examining the distinction between “creation” and us, we can appreciate our unique standing with God. We are to “rule over and care for,” but we are not the same as. Our identity does not come from the animals or plants, but from The Lord. A major difference when you compare eastern religions or current philosophies to the scriptures. In scripture man is exalted above creation. Made in God’s image. In other beliefs, we are considered equal to or part of. Therefore “give us this day our daily bread” as poetic as it sounds, really means “Father, as your son or daughter, I trust you for my provision, confident that as I apply effort to provide, You will bless my effort. I thank you for creation, where I can see your provision at work, which in turn encourages me and builds my faith.” We are to pray a prayer of confidence based on our identity of belonging to Him.
One more example, and I will introduce it with a question. In what situation will a child feel as though he/ she has an identity? A child who knows his parents or a child who really never knew them? Our identity, who we are, comes from knowing and having our parents involved in our life. Their involvement gives us our sense of worth as a person. My being is validated by their positive involvement in my life. This is so critical to a healthy self image. I know there are many of us who never really knew, or had positive involvement from one or both of our parents, and it has been a challenge to look in the mirror and feel good about who we are. Now taking this rather painful example, let me ask another question. To believe that the “universe” is your provider, as several religions/philosophies teach, or that The Lord, a personal God who made you in his image, is your provider, which thought makes you feel more secure? And when you consider the person and purpose of Jesus Christ, the concept of God becomes even more personal. As human beings our sense of well being is directly tied to how secure we feel. Our greatest need is to feel secure. And though God is a “complete being,” processing both the leadership and strength of a man, as well as, the tenderness and compassion of a woman, He represents Himself to us as a “Father,” because more than anything, a good father represents security, and in security, there is minimal concern for our “daily bread.” We will discuss forgiveness next week.
Father God,
Open our hearts and eyes to the truth of what was just shared. Help us to make knowing You through prayer and study a priority in our lives. If being busy is all it takes to keep us from spending time with You, then the enemy will always see to it that we are busy. Let us live by priorities and make you first. Thank you and Amen
Move forward in His Grace – Arthur
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