Midweek Moment: August 26, 2020
Ben Valentine

I was talking to a friend the other day who’s approaching retirement age. He shared with me that he’s worried about the future and how he’ll be able to pay for his expenses in the days ahead.

No doubt, many of us today would acknowledge some area of overwhelming concern or need in our lives.

This past Sunday, we looked at the idea of “daily bread” from the Lord’s Prayer, a prayer for provision, and Jesus’ not-so-subtle reference to God’s miraculous provision for the Israelites in the wilderness. When Jesus asks us to pray in this way, he’s inviting us to remember God’s faithfulness.

I experienced a season in my own life when I was especially worried about my future. I started as I typically did, in “self-help” mode, attempting to engineer my circumstances differently. This was short-lived and exhausting!

Our need, though unpleasant, can become a gateway for God to move in our lives. Around that time, I ended up coming across a song called “Provider”, that ended up becoming the soundtrack of my life for several weeks. The chorus went like this:

Till the ocean runs dry
My God is my provider
Though my heart it may fail
Your love will light the way
And if there’s one thing I know
I know that You are with me
You’re my provider

This song became my prayer for daily bread. As I sang, I felt my mind and heart being reshaped. Peace is a by-product of relationship. When we cry out to a God who is present in our worry about the future, we enter that place, not alone, but with another person – who has the desire and the ability to provide. It’s a confidence that remains when everything else is falling apart.

But the best news of all is that when we pray for bread, we are really praying for more of Jesus in our lives, who told his disciples “I am the bread of life”.

Jesus is saying – I am the New Manna in your wilderness. Right now, God is inviting you, in any need or longing of your heart, to bring that before him. He can’t wait to hear from you!

Blessings,
Ben