Exodus 16:9-15
John 6:25-35
Americans are bombarded with reminders that we are responsible for having enough money to provide for our retirement--even many years into the future. It is human to want to feel secure--to know that we will always have a roof over our heads, food in the cupboard, gas in the tank. Moses give the Israelites some directions that he received directly from God. The people are to collect only enough manna for one day, except for the sixth day when they were to collect enough for the Sabbath--a day of rest. When some gathered more, it soon went moldy and they were punished for their disobedience. God wanted them to depend on his reliability not their own ability to glean. Jesus taught us to pray "Give us this day our daily bread." We are to be continually reminded that it is not we who provide for ourselves, it is God who provides for us. And it may be that our excessive lust for security has denied others their daily bread. As people around me were talking about how much they had lost during the recent economic downturn, I wondered about the hungry around the world that could have benefited from that "secured" money which is now non-existent. True, we are called to be prudent, but most of all we are to know that our source is God and that he is able to provide for us day by day. Our generosity is not to be curbed by our desire for security.
Jesus had fed thousands of people with miraculous bread. And so they continued to seek him for the bread that he was able to provide. He told them, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw the miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. . . . I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry and he who believes will never go thirsty" (John 6:26-27, 35). We have misdirected our priorities. We labor long hours in order to provide for ourselves and if there is any time left we seek time with God. Jesus calls us to feed on his word and be filled with his spirit, then we will know that we are provided for day by day from the hands of our heavenly Father. As we come to know our true source, God is able to pour his riches through us to others who will then come to know him as Father as well. It is in this manner that God provides for his people. Our failure to trust him day by day creates a bottleneck for his generosity. Our insistent need to provide for ourselves distracts us from getting to know the bread of life and it is in knowing him we will never be truly hungry or thirsty. Let us continue to pray in faith: Father, give us this day our daily bread.
