Today's Reading: The Lord’s Prayer, the Fourth Petition
Daily Lectionary: Genesis 37:1-36; Mark 10:1-12
Give us this day our daily bread.
What does this mean? God gives daily bread, even without our prayer, to all wicked men; but we pray in this petition that He would lead us to know it, and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.
What is meant by daily bread? Everything that belongs to the support and wants of the body, such as meat, drink, clothing, shoes, house, homestead, field, cattle, money, goods, a pious spouse, pious children, pious servants, pious and faithful magistrates, good government, good weather, peace, health, discipline, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.
Happy Lent! In the name of Jesus. Amen. The Father gives and gives and gives. He doesn’t require thanks for Him to give. He doesn’t take it back if we aren’t thankful enough. He gives to all—even to those who don’t acknowledge that He’s the One giving anything.
If there is food on your table today, it’s from your heavenly Father. Your Diet Coke, lemonade, or water is from your heavenly Father, too. The clothes you like to wear, and the clothes you can’t believe you ever bought, are gifts from your Father. The shoes on your feet? Yes, from your Father, too.
He gives and gives and gives! There’s no end to His giving! He gives you the roof that you live under, the land that your home is on, and the animals in and outside your house.
He gives kids to parents and parents to kids. He gives boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, and wives. He gives the workers that we work with. The ones you like and those who you wish would just quit—all gifts from Him, too. Even the government—whether you like it or not—comes from Him. The weather, peace, your good health and your not-so-good health, all come from Him as gifts.
Receive it. Thank God for it. Thank Him at meal time, in the morning when you get up out of the bed He gave you, to when you go to sleep to the music playing in your iPod. He gave you that iPod, too, and the music playing on it.
On this Wednesday of the week of Oculi, the Father takes a moment to open your eyes. He wants only to be your God and you to be His child. If you have any doubts about that, just remember the greatest gift that He gave to you. He gave up His Son. All that you have, all that you are have come from His gracious hand. He gives and gives and gives to you in Christ. Happy Lent! In the name of Jesus. Amen.