Daily Bread

When I was 16 I worked at a local supermarket/grocery store in the North East of England. Three evenings a week after college I would race in late to start my shift on the checkouts. There was little time between college and work to find time to eat dinner, so guaranteed each day I would stand there wishing I had eaten a bigger lunch! The worst part of being hungry and pushing food along a conveyer belt was having to endure the smell of freshly baking bread wafting from the Bakery at the back of the store. It was torture to my hungry stomach, causing my body to protest with angry growls and aches.

I am sure today’s verse is familiar to you all. Many times I have asked the Lord to indeed “Give us this day our daily bread” always in my heart referring to my physical and financial needs. Today, I was reminded that this isn’t the only kind of daily bread we need.

John 6: 35 says “Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty”

Just like my stomach would ache at the smell of the bread, so too our spirits ache for daily time with the Lord. Time where we are real with Him and talk to Him about what is really going on inside. Time where we allow Him to talk to us and speak His truth into our hearts. Time where we read His word and allow His `living word’ to speak life to us on the inside. It is only here we find the sustenance and provision we need to face life, and to walk in His paths. Only here do we receive the strength that comes from Him and the peace that is a basic desire within us all.

At first, while I stood at the checkout my stomach was often loud and obnoxious in its cries of protest for food. As the time passed, I was still hungry but no longer was my stomach reacting and no longer was I even aware of the needs of my body. Maybe we have become a little like that in our walk with the Lord. We can become a little immune to the hunger for Him, and time in His presence. We draw instead from our own resources and face each day with reserves, or alternative provision that temporarily relieves our hunger. How foolish we can all be, to think we can survive without our daily bread!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you that you provide all my needs. Thank you that you alone are the bread of my life. You alone are all that my heart needs each day. I am sorry for the times that I forget to spend time with you, or the busyness of life pushes you to a lesser priority. Please keep me aware of my need of you Jesus, and give me a desire and passion to always spend time each day with you. In Jesus name Amen.