Our daily bread

"that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD" (Deut 8:3b).

When Jesus says we are to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” he speaks more than just bread. In fact, the scripture points our attention to the following:

1. Bread represents the necessities of life. This is the economy of God. God says, “I supply it. You gather it.” When you pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” it doesn’t mean you sit on the couch and wait for God to throw you money. You’ve got to work! You have to work for it. This is likened to the case of fishing. God put it in the sea, but you have to get the fish on your boat. Even the Israelites had to go out and pick up manna. Work is a part of God’s purpose for your life. It builds character. Proverbs 14:23 says, “Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no bread on the table”.

2. Bread represents God’s Word.
The Bible is spiritual food. Bread is a symbol for scripture. The Bible says,
“Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word which comes from the mouth of the lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3). When the children of Israel were walking to the Promised Land, God rained manna from Heaven for his people to pick up because they had nothing to eat. God gave them this bread to teach them that people need more than bread for their life. Real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord. You don’t just need physical nourishment; you also need spiritual nourishment. Besides scripture in John 6:63 records Jesus saying "the flesh has nothing to offer. It is the spirit that gives life". So when scripture says man does not live on bread alone, it means apart from bread there is something else that sustains life and that is the word of God. Your words are spirit lord and they are alive. (John 6:63)

3. Bread represents God’s family and fellowship. The Word of God in 1 Corinthians 10:16, “Is the bread which we break not a communion in the body of Christ? [Indeed it is]”. Bread is a metaphor for the family of God. You need God’s people in your life. Whether or not you have a physical family, God wants to be a part of you as much as he wants you to be part of his family that will last forever. The church is the family of God here on earth a prefiguration of the eternal church in heaven. The Church is meant to be a place of love, sharing and caring. Not a place of dissension, hatred and competition. We see rivalry amongst church, and now the intention is no longer "that they may be one". Church leaders and pastors now have it as the focus to outdo, outshine, and outsmart the other pastor. Effectiveness in evangelism is now seen in the numerical strength of our congregation rather than the quality of the breed. Isn't it funny that we have more churches and worship centers today, yet the crime rate is not reducing. So what is the church doing? It is our job as a church to stay together, pray together and chastise ourselves. The fellowship in Church should not end in church.

4. Bread represents the body of Christ.
Jesus chose bread to represent his body as broken in the holy communion for the salvation of man. Every time we eat the bread and drink the cup, it is a reminder of how much God loves us and the sacrifice he made so that we can be with him in eternity.

THOUGHTS OF THE DAY: Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

PRAYERS: Dear Lord help me to live each day according to your word. Give me this day my daily bread for I hope in you. I trust you to provide my physical and spiritual need. Amen.