Give us This Day Our Daily Bread
The daily bread you desire is not always the daily bread you need.
While it's been long established and understood, the covenant between our Holy Father in Heaven and his children that He will grant us our “Daily Bread”.
A promise that he ALWAYS delivers on. Even when we ignore, scoff or disobey him, he always delivers on that promise.
A problem with the human condition, however, is that it’s never suffice to just have the daily bread we need, we also want the one we desire.
Over time, we become like spoiled children. It's not enough to merely have the many blessings of a new day in which we can appreciate all of God’s wonderous creations, nature, our health, our family or the shelter we call home.
We often find ourselves desiring more - more wealth, more possessions, and more material comforts - a never-ending cycle of wanting, its literally an inexhaustible list.
We’re so distracted by desires for the dying things that we completely dismiss the blessings already bestowed upon us by our Heavenly Father.
He’s indulged us so often with both the bread we need and the one we desire, the one we need eventually goes unacknowledged and unappreciated.
This happens to us all. To quote C.S. Lewis “it’s part of the human condition” from which we all suffer.
Seasons in the wilderness
Periodically he’ll land us on a path through the wilderness, We all get seasons in the wilderness throughout our life. It’s is a healthy stage in life, which fosters growth, gratitude, fortitude and reveals opportunities for strengthening our faith.
When we’re in the wilderness it always feels never-ending.
Yet, once we've emerged from the trials, strengthened and refined as servants of His will, we are always able to look back and see that it was all part of His plan and how he wanted things to come together for us.
Embracing our time in the wilderness is crucial, rather than fearing it. In the midst of uncertainty, we often feel anxious, and vulnerable to the fears and pressures that surround us. However, it's precisely these emotions the enemy exploits that can lead us further astray, separating us from our Heavenly Father and potentially leading us down a path of eternal condemnation and destruction.
When we allow these emotions to overshadow our faith, neglecting our prayer, Bible study, generosity, gratitude, and worship, we miss out on opportunities for spiritual healing and growth.
However, it's during these moments of solitude and surrender that God is actively working to mold and purify us. As our Potter, He desires time with us, shaping us into the vessels He needs.
In the wilderness, we're forced to become entirely dependent on Him for even the most basic needs, and it's here that we develop a deeper thirst and desire for His presence and where we learn to depend on him for guidance.
When we emerge from the wilderness, we're spiritually strengthen, identifying more with his Holy Spirit within us and less on the flesh and those other earthly desires which are in a constant state of tug of war over our soul.
“The wilderness is not a place of punishment, but rather a place of preparation."
~ C.S. Lewis
Having endured numerous seasons in the wilderness, I've come to realize that surrender and trust are the most valuable lessons to be learned during these times.
A prayer that I cling to during life's challenging seasons;
'Lord and Savior, I surrender to Your will. I trust You with every fiber of my being, and I'm ready to follow your lead.
Guide me and help me learn the lessons You've prepared for me, that I may emerge a more useful servant of thine will.'
In these moments of humility and surrender, we rediscover our gratitude for the daily bread that sustains us, and our focus shifts from the bread we desire to the bread we truly need.
We all have our daily prayers, often repeating the same requests. I used to pray for the worldly and dying things, but no matter how much I got, I only wanted more. My prayers became a never-ending list of fleeting desires, always leaving me unfulfilled.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading. If you’re in one of those wilderness seasons right now, pray and surrender, every day.
«Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread,»
Matthew 6:9-11 ESV
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Thank you 🙏🏼❤️🙏🏼 I really needed to read this, morning.