Give us this day our daily bread by Aije Barnes, Feb 2 Issue 2 Vol 4

Give us this day our daily bread Matthew 6:11

Food is very important for life, growth and strength. 

 

Jesus said in Matthew chapter 4 verse 4, 'man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'

Physical food nourishes the physical body but spiritual food nourishes your spirit. 

We all know what physical food is and it differs from culture to culture and depends on a combination of what people like are used to or can cope with. 

As babies, we were fed milk by our parents and the constituency, variety  and amount of our food changed as we grew older. With time we began to  pick and choose what we want to eat whether it is good for us or not. The consequences of this subsequently becomes evident in our general health and appearance.  

Spiritual food on the other hand is the word of God and functions in a similar way as physical food except the effects of it is much more powerful and eternal. 

The scriptures describes it's impact in the verse below: 

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 KJV)"

When I was a little girl one of the first songs I learnt in Sunday school was "read your bible pray every if you want to grow" 

What very wise and true words. 

If we do not eat the right kind of food it can cause more harm than good. For example, if you feed a new born baby adult food, you could seriously harm or kill the child because they are not developed enough to digest that kind of food. The word of God is also appropriated according to where you are spiritually. Look at what the scripture says:

'In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:12-14 NIV)'

It is therefore important for us to eat the right kind of food at the right times of our lives so that we can enjoy the fullness of life God wants to. Our Heavenly Father has given us His word to get to know Him so that we can grow spiritually. He also knows what is best for you at all times. We need to ask and trust Him to give us the food we need everyday. 

No wonder Jesus said we aught to pray 'give us this day our daily bread" 

God always answers this prayer. He may speak to you in so many ways, sometimes through a 'donkey' - by this I mean not just by reading direct from the bible but in other various ways and you will know it is from Him because it will confirm what He says in the bible. That is why it is very important to read the bible so that you, by God's Spirit, can recognise His voice always.   

The most important thing is to eat the daily bread that God provides, whether it is physical or spiritual because it will do you no good if you leave it on the plate. When we eat, we will grow and receive the strength and abundant life He promised. 

Bon appetite! Enjoy your food!