“Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11)
Why do we pray for daily bread? Because God is the Creator. He makes all material things. Because food, drink, house, clothing, money, and other possessions are good. God said so Himself (Genesis 1). Because God loves us and wants to give us good things. Since you were baptized, you are God’s child. If evil fathers give good gifts to their children, won’t your good Father give you even more? (Matthew 7:11)
That being said, we should remember to ask for daily bread. Our Lord tells us to pray for what we need for today. God doesn’t guarantee that we will have a super-abundance of wealth, and that’s probably not a bad thing. Food, clothes, money, and possessions are good, but we abuse good gifts. We are tempted to turn such stuff into our gods. Instead of seeking our worth, our security, and our happiness in the Lord, we depend on our wealth.
Wealth is a nice gift, but a terrible god. It cannot give you worth, keep you safe, or guarantee happiness. Once you make it your god, you turn your back on the One who can give you worth, who can save you, and who can give you eternal bliss.
May God give us our daily bread, and may He forgive us when we treat wealth as our god. And may He bless us for the sake of the crucified and risen Christ.
Prayer
Give us this day our daily bread,
And let us all be clothed and fed.
Save us from hardship, war, and strife;
In plague and famine, spare our life,
That we in honest peace may live,
To care and greed no entrance give.
(“Our Father, Who from Heaven Above” LSB 766, st. 5)
Stay encouraged!
Pastor Mike
