SATURDAY, January 7

Deuteronomy 8:1-3. One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

During my junior year in college, I spent a few months traveling in Europe with some friends. On a very limited budget, we often couldn’t afford to eat at restaurants. But we got to know the bakeries well. We’d have coffee and pastries or rolls for breakfast. Lunches and dinners were often simply bread, cheese, and some fruit. Bread was our staple.

Bread has been a staple in many cultures for centuries. And in the Bible, daily bread means more than simply the food that we eat. It symbolizes all that we need. The ancient Hebrews learned that God gave them what they needed in the wilderness: manna—bread from heaven. This bread sustained them for forty years.

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray, “Give us today our daily bread.” Elsewhere he calls himself “the bread of life.” All of this talk of bread invites us to reflect on what we truly need each day. I know I need daily time for prayer and a regular diet of exercise and meaningful work. Every day I need to remember God’s love and forgiveness. What is your daily bread?

PRAY for the Diocese of Accra (Ghana, West Africa)

Ps 103 * 114, 115; Colossians 1:1-14; John 6:30-33, 48-51

View the daily Lectionary Readings at http://satucket.com/lectionary/

Or view the Bible passages at Biblegateway.com or Oremus Bible browser.

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Jan 07, 2012 at 3:31 am

Written by A,

I often say the Lord's Prayer slowly, phrase by phrase, pausing to reflect on the depth and power of this Biblical prayer. "Give us this day...." always invites me to try to answer the author's final question. How difficult it can be to both know and seek what truly constitutes the bread of life. This meditation reminds me once again to focus on God's bountiful offering of all that is needed and nourishing and good for body and soul.

thanks

Jan 07, 2012 at 3:38 am

Written by Linda,

That is beautiful, A. Thank you.

Give Thanks

Jan 07, 2012 at 6:21 am

Written by emeline,

We give thanks to God for providing us with our daily bread, our basic needs!

Awesome Mediataion.

Jan 07, 2012 at 8:06 am

Written by Psalmist4Him,

I love the line in the Prayer Jesus taught us. "Give us this day our daily bread." It reminds me of the Psalmist's proclaimation that God's Mercies are new and available for us each and every morning. Jesus I come to you each and every day. Thank you for being my sustainance. Amen.

Colossians 1:9-14

Jan 07, 2012 at 8:18 am

Written by Chris,

........continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives......... Amen

Thank you A for your witness.

Daily Prayers for all

Jan 07, 2012 at 10:06 am

Written by Ally,

Yesterday, I shared with a Muslim friend The Morning Resolve. I like to start every day with those encouraging words. I think that they hold true for anyone who believes in God, a Saviour, and the Holy Spirit. Plus, I am a person who has to take medications daily for a neurological disorder (seizures); personally, I think that has wonderful as those pills are, my daily prayers are what is truly helping me.

...

Jan 07, 2012 at 12:48 pm

Written by focus,

Deuteronomy 8:3 "...One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord." The Israelites were fed by God with manna, an unfamiliar substance: more than bread and enough to sustain them in the desert. How little we really need when we have God who provides all we need!

Thank you for giving us our daily bread, as we give our bread to others

Jan 07, 2012 at 5:51 pm

Written by Steve Doutt,

I think of daily bread as the actual food that we need to survive. God has given us, the people on the planet Earth, our daily bread. It is up to us to share it.

There is enough now, we don't need to wait for more in order to end hunger.

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