Today’s focus scripture is Matthew 6:11: Give us this day our daily bread.
The beginning of the Lord’s prayer. The inspiration for Our Daily Bread, those seasonal mini-books published by Our Daily Bread ministries. For a long time my mom had us read those at dinner, which was appropriate since we could feed our souls, spirits, hearts, and bellies at the same time. I appreciate the efficiency.
Here’s what I love the most about this verse: the depth of a simple sentence. Since I’m a writer, that’s probably not too surprising. The more I can say in fewer words, the better I feel. I don’t think Jesus was going for brevity here, though. I think there’s just a really big truth in this really short prayer: God has what you need for every 24-hour cycle, so just ask him for it and he’ll supply it. In this one sentence, the asker (me) is requesting enough sustenance from the giver (God) for just one day. Not worrying about tomorrow, not worrying about next week, not worrying about next year (as we all do, especially in these very-special-not-so-special pandemic days we continue to wade through). Just today. One day at a time.
I wake up each morning with a to-do list. If it’s Monday-Friday, it’s very specific and it is bulleted and it gets checked off methodically. If it Saturday and Sunday, it is less structured but still present. I like to know what I’m going to do, when I’m going to do it, and how I’m going to do it, so that I know how much energy I’m going to need for a particular day.
Some of that is because on the Enneagram I land at 5 and we are all about energy and resource conservation.
Some of that is because I’m a mom of an active, creative, non-stop 5 year old and I genuinely want to savor that; I also want to emotionally and physically survive motherhood.
And some of that is because I’m human; life can be exhausting and in some phases, it feels impossibly exhausting.
I was sick in the fall of 2019, from November 18 through March 14 of 2020. I had a non-pneumonia case of something in my lungs, I had a nasty cough that injured ribs and my left shoulder, I had severe fatigue, and existing on the couch was a challenge. Every day I would pray: God, please give me the energy to get to bedtime. Not in a parenting kind of way (you know what I mean!), but in a life kind of way. I was so tired I thought I’d just collapse right there, wherever I was. This photo is the earthly goodies that got me through each day and eventually healed me. Also, I prayed a version of: Give me this day my daily bread. Give me what I need for today and only today. Let me not worry about tomorrow. Let me give you today right off the bat, and let me ask that whatever you’ve already prepared for me today, that I would lean into the capacity you’ve equipped me with.
Give us this day our daily bread is the beginning of the prayer Jesus gives to his followers; this is what he teaches us to pray. We are instructed and expected to ask for sustainment, for energy, for the capacity to do whatever we need to do each and every day. If we ask for nothing else when we wake up in the morning, let it be this: Give us this day our daily bread.
When your coffee spills on your way to the car, He’ll sustain you through the day.
When you can’t have caffeine anymore because your body says no, thank you, He’ll sustain you through the day.
When your kids and spouse and co-workers and traffic are driving you crazy and you’re just so tired you could quit life right there, He’ll sustain you through the day.
When your job zaps every bit of life and joy from your heart, He’ll sustain you through the day.
When a deep hurt from a dear friend breaks your heart into a million pieces, He’ll sustain you through the day.
Now, I firmly believe that God sustains in different ways, based on our different personalities and who he has crafted us each to be. I need something different from you and you need something different than your neighbor (proverbial and literal). He might send me food and an ice pack in the hands of best friends. (God knows food is my love language). He might send you a cancelled event so you have time to breathe. He might send my neighbor a care package filled with pampering goodies, because that might just be her language. That said, the sustainment remains.
He’ll sustain in the morning, afternoon and evening.
He’ll sustain in the praising and in the asking.
He’ll sustain in the highs and in the lows.
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Lord, remind me that you’ve already written today and whether I come out of it on heaven or on earth, I know you’ve already prepared everything I need from A to Z. Lord, help me remember that caffeine and chocolate are great agents of energy here on earth but you are the actual supplier. Heavenly Father, please remind me that no matter how tired I am, you are my sustainer.
May you experience a burst of energy today. May you relish in the fact that God has promised to be your ultimate sustainer. May you delight and rest in the fact that God has written your day, from the beginning to end, and if it’s already tomorrow in Australia then you’ll make it, too.
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