Our Daily Bread

We had breakfast this morning at Panera in Lexington -- a whole store devoted mainly to bread and its permutations. If I had to hazard a guess, I would say that every culture in the world -- or close to it -- has its own version of bread.

I've been thinking about bread lately -- and salt, and bushels, and light (see a pattern?) for a small project I'm cooking up (Ha Ha -- look, a pun!) at church. I thought, since I began my day with bread, I would end it with thoughts of bread.

Bread is mentioned in the Bible 430 times (I love the internet and computers!). Let's look at a few of them.

• Exodus 16:4-5: GOD said to Moses, "I'm going to rain bread down from the skies for you. The people will go out and gather each day's ration. I'm going to test them to see if they'll live according to my Teaching or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they have gathered, it will turn out to be twice as much as their daily ration." God provides what His people need -- bread. He always gave them enough to meet their daily needs. Since He wanted them to rest on the Sabbath, he gave them enough to follow His commands -- they would not need to work to feed themselves on the Sabbath.
• John 6:32-35: Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world." They said to him, "Lord, give us this bread always." Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.
• Luke 11:3: Give us each day our daily bread;
• Luke 22:19: And he took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."
• Luke 24: 28-30: So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, but they constrained him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them.

So, what does all of this say to me? Bread is a basic in all cultures. If Jesus is the bread of life, then he is the "basics." God will provide our "daily bread" -- that which we need -- the basics of our spiritual life. He will give it in abundance -- just what we need. It is through this bread that we will recognize Him -- that we will remember Him.

Can I talk about the prayer vigil just one more time?

• The UMM received 39 "kits" to make crosses out of nails. They returned all 39. I gave away 39 crosses -- no more were needed, and none were left over as extras.
• I am not sure how many prayer packets I made -- around 40, but not exactly 40. I gave away all that I had, and no extra were needed.
• When Jeff prepared for the Emmaus hour of prayer during the vigil, he printed 13 copies of the order of prayer -- for no reason. Thirteen attended the hour. All copies were used; none were extra.

I know these could all be coincidences, but I'm not sure that they are. I think that they might be our daily bread -- God meeting our needs to do His will -- just enough for what we needed. Bread provided to meet our needs, and so that we would recognize Him, and remember Him.

Image from this site.