moderation

Exodus 16:1-35
1 Kings 17:8-16
John 6:25-59 

Carbs. 
I like them. 
Especially those found in baked goods. This is a fact of which my family is well aware, and they have been known to plan meals with that in mind. I distinctly remember my aunt winking at me when referencing the rolls she brought to Thanksgiving each year.

While my love for bread has now been partnered with a moderation I did not employ as a lanky teenager (metabolism changes are real!), I still enjoy my carbs in many forms. Can anyone else relate to the love of bread? Or are most of you just curious to know why I have spent several sentences talking about it?

In the Lord’s Prayer, we are taught to ask for our daily bread.
Now, I’ve already discussed my love for bread and appreciate being able to eat some form of bread daily; however, I recognize that praying, “Lord, please give me that flaky croissant” is not what this verse is encouraging me to do. In order to gain insights into what “asking for my daily bread” looks like, I dug deeper and broader into the Word.

My first thought of daily bread immediately took me to Exodus as the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. There, they truly did ask the Lord for bread and He provided! That provision came in the form of manna, which appeared like dew on the ground. (Exodus 16:12) The Lord gave specific parameters for collecting the manna each morning as the manna would not last until the next day. The only exception to that occurred on the Sabbath, as the Israelites were to collect the manna for that day along with what was collected the previous day.

My second thought traveled to Elijah, an Old Testament prophet, as he knocked on the door of a widow who only had a jar of oil and jar of flour with which to make but 1 small loaf of bread. This story took place in days of famine. For a season, the Lord had directed Elijah to live by a water source and had ravens bring him bread and meat. Eventually that water dried up, and the Lord sent him to the widow’s home promising that the oil and flour for bread would not run out. Once again, the Lord miraculously provided a source of bread to keep His people alive.

We have these great examples of the Lord’s provision of physical bread from the Old Testament. The New Testament challenges us to move beyond the physical. Enter Matthew 4:4: “He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”” 

Move to John 6:35 where Jesus describes Himself as the Bread of Life. Verse 33 says, “For the bread of God is the One who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Jesus came to give us life and for it to be life more abundant.
We are able to partake of this life and eat the Bread of Life,
by believing in Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

I made this choice at an early age and have discovered His faithfulness ever since.
He has been my provision and nourishment in sweetly blessed seasons as well as some of my darkest days. I am so thankful to be able to experience the bread referenced in the New Testament, and not just the literal bread I love to eat!

However, I find that the Old Testament references to bread still have some applications to my life.  

In the wilderness, the Israelites gathered the manna the Lord provided.
Elijah relied on the ravens to supply his food.
In neither story does the bread magically appear on a plate ready to eat.

The same is quite often true in my walk with the Lord where Jesus Himself is the Bread of Life. In John 1:1, Jesus is also referred to as the Word.
Just like the Israelites, I must gather the food the Lord provides.
This means digging into the Word of God for my everyday nourishment and sustenance.

I have discovered that my world is much more peaceful when I consistently and daily spend time in the Word. Additionally, I look forward to Sunday mornings and spending time seeking the Lord and worshipping Him corporately.
Thankfully I attend a church where the pastor teaches the Word and, through the sermons, my understanding increases.

As I look to the future, I recognize that my physical taste buds may change, but I pray my passion for the Word of God and my relationship with Jesus only increases. Please, Lord, give me my daily bread! 

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