God of all people, bless and protect this dear reader this day; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our study of The Lord's Prayer continues with "Give us this day our daily bread..." (Matthew 6: 11 KJV).
Here in Texas and perhaps in your place, in the mid-60s, there were burger joints that would sell 10 hamburgers for one dollar. And this particulare place in my new hometown of Corpus Christi, for an additional dollar you could get a gallon of root beer. It was a great deal and a way for my Mom to feed five children, her Dad, and herself. Now, those of you with good memories or sharp minds will remember or determine that those ten burgers were about the size of a good chocolate chip cookie. And while I thought we were having fun, having driven from Kingsville to Corpus Christi, the truth was we were on a tight budget. And the competition between three growing boys was on who could eat the fastest to get an additional burger. That usually meant befriending the oldest of our two sisters who was a finicky eater. "You going to eat the rest of that? If not, I call it!" God provided for our daily bread. And while we had a scare only one time that I remember, and I've shared that in this devotional postings some time ago, it was just that my Dad was working overtime and was late coming home. While the hours worked their way away from 6 o'clock the time my Dad usually got home, my Mom started to worry about her husband's wellbeing and about not having any food in the pantry. It was the kindness and thoughtfulness of our only neighor, who herself had a bunch of kids, who brought up the last item she had, a can of Spagetti-Ohs. Mixing it with about six cans of water, that was our supper.
Jesus knew of God's faithfulness in providing sustenance for the day. He himself had to endure the greatest and first of all temptations, that of feeding Himself while very hungry. Hunger has driven throughout history many a man and woman, to beg, borrow, or steal, just to provide either for themselves or for their children. It was the thought of food that drive the Prodigal home to his daddy. Hunger does affect us and no one should go hungry. And in His greatest teachings, Jesus told US that we should provide for those who are hungry and thirsty, and when we do, we're providing it for Him. James teaches that while we do care for the soul of all, we cannot ignore the needs of the body (James 2:15-16). Jesus knew that God is the source of all good gifts and if we claim to be children of God, then we too, embrace the care and feeding of our brothers and sisters.
During this time of our Lenten Journey, some have been denying some physical food in order to focus more on the spiritual and it is precisely because we know of the power of God to bless us and remind us of what we truly need to march forward and upward.
PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for the bread You provide to us this day. Help me today to more fully realize that I too, must be one who provides for others. The world is my neighbor and I must take responsibility to help feed all who might be hungry. Forgive me for taking the plate placed in front of me for granted. It comes from Your love and provision. Thank you. I pray this prayer in Christ Jesus' powerful and precious name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
