Give Us Today Our Daily Bread
Scripture Reading — Mark 6:38-44
Taking the five loaves and two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people.
Jesus teaches us to pray, “Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). But is this request only about bread? While it is asking God for the food we need each day, it also covers having all our needs supplied by our loving Father in heaven. So this applies to all our basic needs for good health and well-being, recognizing that we depend on God each day for all good things.
We should note something important, though. While some people claim that behind the petition for daily needs lies a request for “spiritual bread,” that’s not the main point here.
We need food every day in order to live. Without nourishment, we die. As the feeding of the five thousand clearly shows, Jesus knows we need physical sustenance. When the crowds following him were faint with hunger, he satisfied them with an abundance of bread and fish.
Asking God for our daily needs shows that we also trust him to provide for us. With the daily sustenance that God graciously offers, we can delight in his bountiful goodness and be refreshed in our bodies to serve him and others with joy and gladness.
So the next time you’re about to take a bite of food, remember who provided it, give thanks to him, and use the energy gained from it for loving God and serving others.
Father, give us today what we need in order to love and serve you and the people around us. Amen.
About the author — Kurt Selles
Kurt Selles is the director of ReFrame Ministries and serves as the Executive Editor of Today. He is a graduate of Calvin College and Seminary, and received his PhD from Vanderbilt University. Before coming to ReFrame, he served 19 years in Taiwan and China with CRC World Missions. Kurt later taught missions at Beeson Divinity School, where he also acted as the director of the school’s Global Center. Kurt and his wife, Vicki, reside in Grand Rapids and have three adult children.
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