“Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:15).
Today’s part of the Lord’s Prayer is clear and easy to understand. There are no theological or interpretative difficulties present. Simple as it is, it provides for us a path which as we follow it we discover the wonderful and rich blessings of God. What path?
The path of abundance, generosity and care.
Where is the abundance? Everywhere. We are surrounded by abundance. God created everything in abundance. And this is not the end of His creative “abilities”. We, His people, are eagerly waiting for the day when the creation will be renewed.
Jesus gave us an example of God’s inexhaustible resources.
On that day (Matthew 14:19-21) there were available only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. How many people ate that day? How many “basketfuls of broken pieces that were left”? No need to answer. Because God’s provisions are abundant, we pray, “Give us today, our daily bread.”
God is generous. Jesus put it (roughly) this way, “Who feeds the birds of the air?” He actually invited us to, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26).
Think about the millions of sparrows (and other birds) who fly in the air – not a worry in the world, because there is always a seed or two available.
Because God is generous, we pray, “Give us today, our daily bread.”
Generosity may flow from abundance, but God is generous because He cares for His creation.
How many people sit at their tables and eat their meals without even thinking that God’s abundance and generosity and care are right there on their table? (Too many).
Because God cares, we pray, “Give us today, our daily bread.”