Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

John 6:33

For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.

The Jews were accustomed to the idea that bread could come down from heaven.  But the bread that they were familiar with came only to supply their natural needs.  The manna that they had received came down from the lower heavens.  John was writing to them about a new bread that would come to them from the upper heavens.  John was teaching them about a new bread that was not for sustaining natural life, but for the giving of spiritual and eternal life.  John was revealing to them the bread of God, Jesus Christ.  John was confirming that God was still in the business of provision, but He was extending His giving from beyond the natural to the supernatural.  In His excellency, Almighty God was offering the Jews a bread that was infinitely superior to the manna of old.

Give us this day our daily bread.  How many times have we prayed this and thought only of our fleshly provision?  Have we forgotten what Jesus Himself said?  The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

Christ taught that He is the true Bread. He wanted His disciples to understand that He is supernaturally to the spirit what bread is naturally to the flesh.  As our bodies are nourished by grain, Jesus nourishes and supports our spiritual life. He is the Bread of God. 

Let us remember both the natural and supernatural provision that our precious Lord provides us when we ask for our daily bread.  Let us seek both that which strengthens us physically and that which strengthens us by the supernatural power of the One who was crucified for our sins.  Let us give thanks for our eternal sustenance.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for providing both our physical and spiritual nourishment.  We exalt Your name for the harvest that You bring into our lives to be the natural provision for our bodies.  We praise You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to be the supernatural nourishment and eternal sustenance that we need for our spirit-filled lives.  We pray that the Holy Spirit will prepare our hearts so that we will receive a full portion of the nourishment of Jesus Christ for our souls.  May everything we do be in remembrance of Our Savior and what He did for us.  As You nourish us with Your True Bread, Father, may we provide nourishment to those who are in need of the way, the truth and the life that is in Jesus.  We ask all these things in the name of the Lord of all provision, Jesus Christ.