We read in the New Testament where one day one of Jesus’ disciples made the request, “Lord teach us how to pray.” Jesus then gave them what is known as the “Lord’s prayer”. He said to them, “When you pray, say:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us each day our daily bread.—“
The prayer went on a little more, but lets stop and look at this last sentence. “Give us each day our daily bread.”
Jesus’ Hebrew disciples understood the significance of this statement on two levels, from history and from personal experience.
They knew that nearly 1,500 years earlier in the history of the Jewish nation, God had literally supplied their forefathers with bread from heaven on a daily basis. This was recorded in what they had for a Bible, (what we would refer to as the Old Testament).
They also knew that this bread from heaven, called manna, was no ordinary bread. It was recorded that this bread tasted like it was made with honey. In other words it was special, it was “Sweet Bread”.
Jesus’ disciples had also already seen Him feed thousands of people with just a few loaves of bread, on more than one occasion, along with many, many other miracles. Blind people had received their sight, sick people had been healed, dead people had been raised and sinners had been set free from the bondage of sin, just to name a few.
They understood that the “daily bread” He was talking about, was more than just food for the stomach. No doubt they were familiar with verses from the Old Testament that showed this. Like;
Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.
Psalm 63:5, “My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods, with singing lips my mouth will praise Him.”
Isaiah 55:1-3, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.”
As was already stated, at that time all they had for a Bible was the Old Testament, but now we have the New Testament also, which tells us about Jesus and what He did for us.
It is clear that the Old Testament “foretells” the New Testament, and that the New Testament “fulfills” the Old Testament. After studying the Bible as a whole, we see it over and over again. The two fit together like a hand in a glove.
Hebrews chapters 7-8 in the New Testament goes into great detail about how this works. It shows that Jesus is the embodiment of the Old Testament prophesies and that this “new covenant” or agreement, not only fulfills, but is superior to the “old covenant” because it is based on “grace” rather than “law”.
Jesus talks about this in John chapter 6, in verses 48-51 He says, “I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.”
So we find that Jesus is the true “Sweet Bread”. Just ask anybody who has been physically or emotionally healed in the name of Jesus how “Sweet” it is, or ask someone who has been delivered from the bondage of an addiction in the name of Jesus how “Sweet” it is. What might be even more convincing would be to ask a person who displays peace, joy, and contentment, despite great suffering, when Jesus is Lord of their life!
So maybe you’re asking yourself, “How can I get this Sweet Bread?”
If we look at both the Old Testament and the New Testament, the answer is the same.
Exodus 16 tells us that the Lord sent the manna from heaven every morning, (except on the Sabbath). The people were then responsible for going out and collecting what the Lord had provided for them each day, it could not be saved up, (except for the day before the Sabbath). It took some daily effort on their part, but this interaction is what sustained them.
Jesus says in John 6:35, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
In both cases we see God supplying for people, but we also see that each person is then responsible for collecting, or accepting what the Lord has provided.
Do you eat once a week? How about twice a week? Almost all of us would say “no” to these questions because we understand that our physical body needs daily food to operate at its peak.
So it is with our spiritual body. We need a daily relationship with Jesus to operate at our spiritual peak. Some people are under the impression that if they go to church once a week, or pray once in a while, they are spiritually ok. But, just like physical food, spiritual food must be consumed daily or we will begin to starve in a spirtitual sense.
No matter how often we eat physical food there will come a day when we will die. Jesus told us that when we partake of Him, the Living Bread, we will live forever. He is talking about eternal life with Him in heaven.
The living God wants a daily relationship with us that lasts forever, because that’s how much He loves us. I’m convinced this is the reason why He compares our relationship to Him, with that of a husband and a wife. It is the best analogy He can use to show us what type of relationship He desires to have with us, an intimate relationship based on love.
Once we truly begin to understand just how much God loves each of us, we will never be the same. It will affect every area of our life. Our priorities will change and we will find ourselves yearning to be used by God and overjoyed when we are. Spending time in prayer and worship will not be a chore, but a delight!
At one time or another we will each face various problems in this life. Health problems, financial problems, relationship problems, and spiritual issues are just some of the many. A personal relationship with Jesus is the only way we can face these challenges and have continued hope for the future. While this doesn’t make us immune to life’s problems, it provides us with a foundation that we can stand on as we deal with the problems.
If you would like to take Jesus up on His offer, and are ready to have a personal relationship with Him, please go to the “Plan Of Salvation” page for an easy step by step guide.
If you would like to learn more about what this daily relationship with God can involve, you can go to “Saved By Angels” page, or the “Media Center” and view or listen to the part-1 and part-2 videos titled “God Talks To Everyday People Are You Listening?”. For even more detail you can go to the “What We Offer” page and order the book, “Saved By Angels To Share How God Talks To Everyday People”.
Jesus said that He comes to the door of our heart and knocks, I pray that you are led to open the door and begin an eternal relationship with Him!