Sunday, June 9, 2013

By: Gwen Hitt

"The Lord's Prayer" Series Day 6: "Give us this day our daily bread."

Be Mindful of the Incidentals

Philippians 4:19 "And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from His glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus."

My son and his wife surprised my husband and me with an all-expense paid cruise several years ago. Since we had never been on a cruise, we excitedly talked to others about their experiences. Sadly, we heard of several situations in which couples were faced with outrageous balances at the conclusion of their trip for incidentals such as specialty drinks, spa services, onboard activities, excursions in exotic ports, and onboard shopping.

I contend that this same situation can occur in our regular lives. We are given the awesome opportunity to ASK God for our daily provision when we pray these words of The Lord's Prayer, "Give us this day our daily bread." However, just as it is possible to become enticed with the many cruise ship incidentals, I believe that we can also be enticed with the things of the world (wealth, position, entertainment, careers, hobbies, belongings, etc.). Even if some activities are not "bad," they become a problem when we are not grateful for God's provision for our basic needs and have overextended ourselves to satisfy our personal desires.

In today's scripture, the Apostle Paul writes that the SAME God that has taken care of him is available to take care of us. As I reflected on this, I began thinking of how God provided for Adam and Eve even after they were exiled from the Garden of Eden - of how Abraham was provided with a ram for the sacrifice to take the place of his son - of how the Israelites were provided with their nourishment of manna in the morning and meat at night - of how Jesus multiplied a few loaves of bread and fish to feed thousands - AND I can go on and on.

Jesus offers direction for our lives in John 6:35 - "I am the bread of life. He who COMES to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." God is willing and able to "Give us this day our daily bread." My challenge to you today is to GO to Him, ASK Him for His provision, and TRUST Him in providing all you need.

Dear Father, Thank You for being my provider each day. My desire is to always focus on the necessary things of life and to avoid the distractions that can draw me from You.

I thank You, my Jesus, for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life.