February 3 ~ Matthew 6:11
Give us our food for today.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When my brother was a little boy, we would sit down to breakfast, and he would ask, “What’s for dinner?” It’s not that he was worried about what was for dinner… or that we didn’t have enough to eat. We never missed a meal! It was just a thing with Tim… he enjoyed food and was naturally curious as a child. He didn’t worry about the next meal… he just wondered what it would be!
Many of us spend a lot of time worrying about our “next meal.” I’m not literally talking food… I’m talking about all of the “worries of our day.” We wonder what will happen next – we “anticipate” many things. The truth of the matter is that God will provide for our needs each and every day… and that should be our primary focus. “But wait!” you may be saying. “Haven’t we just spent the better part of a month looking at scripture passages that deal with planning?” Yes, and plans are important. I am not saying we should not have them!
The point I want to make with this verse from Matthew 6 is that often we have situations that seem overwhelming – too big for us to handle. Maybe you are in the middle of a really tough semester of school work, and you wonder how on earth you will survive it. Ask God to “Give me food for today.” Maybe you are sick or injured, and the doctor has told you that recovery is going to take weeks or months. Ask God to get you through – one day at a time. Maybe you have lost a loved one, or you have just suffered a broken relationship, and you feel like the grief will never end. Ask God for strength for today… then ask Him again tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.
In essence, this passage gives new meaning to the phrase, “Take one day at a time.” The Bible tells us we are not promised more than this day, so why don’t we focus on where we are at the moment?! Ask God to give you all you need for today. Trust Him to “feed” you – body, mind, and soul – and believe that He will continue to care for you in all the days to follow.
©2009 Debbie Robus
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