What If God Gives You No Bread?

"Give us this day our daily bread." So you prayed today, fully expecting that God would grant you what you need for today. But . . . what if disaster strikes? What if you suddenly learn that you have cancer or that your mother just died from a heart attack? What if your house burns down after being struck by lightning or is burned up in an unstoppable forest fire? The what ifs can be multiplied.

What then? Can you still pray and give thanks as the Apostle instructed in yesterday's post?

. . . give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. - 1Th 5:18 ESV

In ALL circumstances? How is that possible? Surely Job's wife was correct when she advised,

Job by Leon Bonnat, c. 1860

"Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die." - Job 2:9 ESV 

Mrs. Job spoke with deep irony, for her word for curse is used in most other contexts of the Bible as the word for speaking a blessing, e.g.

And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. ... He also said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be his servant. - Gen 9:1, 26 ESV 

Yeah, right. So when God knocks me down and takes it all away, I'm supposed to say thanks and bless Him? You've got to be kidding! You've already damned me, God! You've taken everything precious away and I will not thank you for that.

What's the lesson for us when we're poor, beaten down, filled with fear, loss and sorrow? How can we give thanks in those circumstances? How indeed?

Job's answer to his wife is most instructive.

But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips. - Job 2:10 ESV

As hard as it may be in that moment, consider again how it is that you even dare to call yourself a child of God. Remember again that you are a member of God's family only by the grace and mercy of God freely displayed in Christ. Remember how you were called to faith, brought out of the certain eternal death we all deserve by the renewing work of the Holy Spirit. Remember that Jesus took you with Him into death and hell and from there to new life. Do not return to that foolishness that says that you deserve to have a perfect and wondrous life in the here and now. Too many name-it-and-claim-it false prophets teach that drivel.

Learn again what Job knew: "Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?"

But why?

Here we turn to Hebrews 12:1-13. Read over carefully the entire chapter several times. Ponder its meaning for you when you face adversity, suffering, sickness and loss. The writer makes several very important points.

• In Christ Jesus we truly are God's children and loved by Him. Already we have eternal life and we shall certainly share with Him in the imminent resurrection and renewal of all things.

• In the meantime we remain in this world, a world filled with dark powers, temptations, idolatry and evil. Our sinful flesh is constantly pulled toward them. 

• We truly need discipline and training in our struggle against sin. Who better to provide such discipline than our heavenly Father? If He were not to discipline us, then we would have to consider ourselves as illegitimate children and not His sons and daughters. 

• As we grow up, we eventually learn to respect our earthly fathers and mothers for their discipline and training. At the time we may not have. It was most painful and not at all pleasant to be denied and forced to do what we did not want to. But later on we learn how important it was that they did care enough to discipline us. 

• So should we not much more be willing to accept the discipline of our Father in heaven, the Father of all those who have gone before us into heaven? 

• Therefore pick up those hands that are clenched or have fallen helplessly at your side. Stop complaining and wobbling on your knees. Stand up, straighten your back. Take a deep breath and let out a prayer of thanks—yes even for this. 

• And then get on with what stands before you. Pull out that noxious "root of bitterness." It is very toxic and can only bring further suffering and sorrow. 

• Before us is the kingdom that cannot be shaken. And beyond this world's dark valley the Father's house awaits. The door is open and your room is already prepared. 

Our Father in heaven . . . give us today our daily bread!

God Gives Daily Bread To All Regardless

When Jesus guides us to pray for our daily bread, He's not only talking about bread itself. The word is often used as an analogy for food and all those other things that belong to daily living. Jesus even speaks about Himself as the living Bread. So we read,

By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return." - Gen 3:19 ESV 

Then he washed his face and came out. And controlling himself he said, "Serve the food." - Gen 43:31 ESV 

My appetite refuses to touch them; they are as food that is loathsome to me. - Job 6:7 ESV 

My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?" - Psa 42:3 ESV 

How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. - Mat 16:11-12 ESV

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." - Jhn 6:51 ESV

 Whether you do or do not pray for daily bread, the Father in heaven will most likely provide what you need today. Whether you do or do not care about what happens to your enemies, the sun will still rise today and the rain will fall on you and them. You have no control over it, as Jesus says in His sermon,

For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. - Mat 5:43-45 ESV

So why pray at all for food and other earthly blessings? The answer lies in your heart. Do you truly believe that you are a child of God? Do you believe that everything happening today is the Father's gracious gift to you, as Jesus taught?

But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" - Mat 4:4 (Deut. 8:3) ESV 

And do you truly desire to listen to Him and His guiding?

If all this is so, then tell Him and let Him know how thankful you are for all that He continues to provide both by your words and by your actions. Let your life be a ceaseless prayer of praise and thanksgiving.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. - 1Th 5:16-18 ESV

Further, learn from the teaching and examples of Jesus and the early disciples to love your enemies and pray for them even as they persecute you. Share with others what the LORD gives you each day and do so with joy in your heart. And make sure that you provide for your relatives, especially those who live with you or are close to you. In all these and related ways show the Father in heaven that you are truly His child, born anew by the washing of Baptism and the indwelling power of His Spirit.

You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons (i.e. children) of your Father who is in heaven. - Matt 5:44 ESV 

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they (i.e. Jerusalem disciples) received their food with glad and generous hearts, - Acts 2:46 ESV  

But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. - 1Ti 5:8 ESV

Each day our heavenly Father provides us with good weather, food, shelter, friends, family, home, country, good government, work, protection, healing, help and countless other blessings. And He gives all these to us even though we do not deserve the least of them.

What then if He withdraws these blessings from our lives? Can we still pray? More about that tomorrow.