Give us this day our daily bread…
The future hope of “God’s Kingdom come” serves as a beacon of light that anchors us in the right direction. When times are tough, when we experience loss, or when we simply need to see beauty, we can look to the future hope of God’s Kingdom come. It provides us with much needed perspective and hope in times of hopelessness and despair.
Jesus, knowing that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, not just far off, and knowing that the needs of today still loom despite their future promised fulfillment, invites us to ask God for our daily bread. Jesus, right after drawing our attention to the future, permissions us and recognizes our needs for today.
The translation in the original language of “daily bread” is unclear but some scholars believe that it means “the coming bread.” This implies that if you pray it in the morning, you are asking for bread today, and if you pray it at night, you are asking for bread the next day.* Either way, the prayer is for the meeting of immediate needs.
In this season, my wife and I are walking through a door into the unknown where we are being asked to trust God for His provision in the future and for the future. At the same time, we have needs for today that we cannot ignore. In the Lord’s prayer, we see that Jesus cares about both.
The challenge for us all as followers of Christ is two fold: 1) will we trust God that His Kingdom will in fact come? 2) will we trust God for the bread of today?
Different seasons of life challenge us in both of these questions. Sometimes trust comes easier than others.
This we must know: Jesus cares about the coming of the one-day, but present Kingdom as well as the today and tomorrow needs of bread in our lives.
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to trust Him with your forever. Perhaps you do not trust that His Kingdom will come and all will be made right. Maybe you need to permission His Kingdom which is at hand to emerge in and through your life. Perhaps today God is asking you to trust Him with your bread for today and tomorrow.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a step today… just one is fine.
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*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 146-147, and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 6:9-13) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).