Daily Bread

by Jo Umberger, Vice President, NLBI

Are we satisfied with God’s provision and the timing of that provision?

In Luke 11:3 when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He included the prayer “Give us each day our daily bread.” (NIV)

He did not teach us to pray, “Give us today everything we will need for the year,” or “Give us today all that we want,” or “Give us today everything we think we need.” He taught us to depend on Him for everything we need and to ask Him for it.

This mindset of depending on God daily is challenging for me sometimes. I have been taught to think ahead, plan ahead and save money. While these are wise principles, they do not build trust in God IF I believe that I am my provider instead of God.

Yet He proves Himself faithful. When I needed a loan to finish college, God provided the loan as well as the money to pay it back on time. When my husband and I wanted to become missionaries, He provided a church that partnered with us. When we lost our jobs at the same time years later, God provided for us. I simply need to remember these testimonies in times of temptation.

When we go to the Father and ask for immediate needs only, we begin to rely on Him more. Perhaps if we had everything we need for an extended period of time, we would not trust Him. Perhaps we would not give Him the glory or the thanks for His provision.

He is our Provider. Each day. And each day we are called to trust Him.