Stewardship “Give Us Today Our Daily Bread”
Stewardship
“Give us today our daily bread”
We are now at the heart of the Lord’s Prayer. Here we transition from the concerns that relate especially to God’s program (Matt. 6:9–10) to the specific needs of God’s people (vv. 11–13): sustenance, forgiveness, and protective guidance. If we are faithful to put God’s concerns first, then we are better prepared to speak with him about our own needs. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33). We should faithfully test our personal prayer requests by God’s priorities. If God gave us what we asked, would it glorify his name, advance his kingdom, and accomplish his will on earth? If not, why should we ask?
In the ancient Near East, the word bread referred both to food in general and to the flat loaves made from either wheat or barley flour. In that society, bread was the staff of life, and a family was careful to keep fresh bread on hand (see Luke 11:5–13). Bread represents all that we need to sustain life as we serve the Lord. Today we can buy bread at a store or go to our freezer and take out a loaf and defrost it, but life wasn’t that easy in the ancient world. Each morning family members would put olives, cheese, and perhaps figs into the tortilla-like loaves, fold the bread, and put it into their pockets or bags before heading off to work. The bread was both the lunch and the lunch box. It helped to make it possible for people to earn a living.
Prayer and stewardship go together and must never be separated, for we must make good use of the answers to prayer God graciously gives us. We are stewards of the blessings the Father sends to us day after day. In the ancient world, a steward was a person put in charge of the master’s possessions. He or she had the responsibility of guarding those possessions, using them for the profit and pleasure of the master, and keeping accurate accounts for the master to examine. While the steward’s position was a privileged one, it came with much responsibility, for the inevitable day of reckoning always came.
The Lord created a marvelous world for our employment and enjoyment (1 Tim. 6:17–19), and we must not carelessly waste God’s gracious gifts. God’s creation contains everything we need for sustaining life, serving the Lord, and helping others. We are God’s stewards, not only of the human, animal, vegetable, and mineral blessings of his “old creation,” but also of the spiritual blessings of the “new creation” to which we belong as followers of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). One day we will have to give an account of our stewardship before the Lord (Rom. 14:10–12), so we had better be faithful. Let’s examine and take to heart the truths involved in this simple but profound request, “Give us today our daily bread.”
The word give in this request reminds us that we are stewards by God’s grace. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17). We see God’s grace in what God gives us as well as in the way God gives it, and we must use these gifts for the good of others and the glory of God. That’s what stewardship is all about. The Lord is not obligated to give us anything, yet “in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). “You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing” (Ps. 145:16). “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). In ourselves, we are bankrupt, and without God’s grace there could be no stewardship. “Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand” (1 Chron. 29:14).
No matter what the situation may be, God is able to care for his children. The Lord is omniscient and knows what we need (Matt. 6:8, 32). He is omnipresent and therefore is with us in every circumstance of life, “an ever-present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1). He is omnipotent and “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Eph. 3:20). That word ask reminds us that it is through prayer that we tell God what we need. The Father knows our needs better than we do, but he waits for us to ask. True prayer is an act of faith, and God honors faith. “If you believe,” said Jesus, “you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matt. 21:22). Charles Spurgeon was correct when he said, “Whether we like it or not, asking is the rule of the kingdom.”21 James agreed with him: “You do not have because you do not ask God” (James 4:2).
Accustomed as we are to the mouthwatering creations on the bakery or grocery shelf, a piece of bread seems like a lackluster object to us; but actually a piece of bread is a miracle. The poet put it this way:
Back of the loaf is the snowy flour,
And back of the flour is the mill;
And back of the mill is the wheat, sun and shower,
And the farmer and the Father’s will.
Maltbie D. Babcock
Think of it: it requires the cooperation of our universe for us to have a piece of bread. The Lord launched Planet Earth in just the right orbit around our sun, tilted it carefully, and gave it just the right atmosphere, soils, and amounts of sunlight to sustain human life as we know it. A loaf of bread begins with little seeds of wheat or some other grain that are planted and cultivated and at the right time harvested. The Lord sends the necessary sunshine and rain so that the seeds take root and grow. It requires a combination of the faithfulness and blessing of the Father, as well as the skills and hard work of the farmers, millers, and bakers, to give us a loaf of bread. We hold in our hands a miracle that too often we take for granted.
Many people are blind to this miracle and therefore waste food and throw edible leftovers into the garbage. But in our Lord’s time, bread was highly valued and not handled so carelessly. People in the ancient Near East didn’t slice a loaf of bread; they lovingly broke it. To them, slicing a loaf was like stabbing a friend. If they found even a small piece of bread on the ground, they usually picked it up, dusted it off, and put it where a bird or small animal could find it and enjoy it. When Jesus miraculously fed the multitudes, he was careful to have the disciples gather up the leftovers and save them (Matt. 14:20; 15:37), and he expected them to remember how many baskets of leftovers they had collected (Matt. 16:1–12). Jesus wants nothing wasted. Yet in our modern Western world, tons of food are thrown away daily, enough to feed the hungry populations of entire nations.
If we remember that we are stewards because of the grace of God, it will motivate us to cook and eat sensibly and to waste nothing. My preacher uncle, Simon Carlson, followed the Swedish custom of praying after meals as well as before, basing it on Deuteronomy 8:10—“When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God.” But if we have overeaten or wasted food, can we really thank the Lord after the meal? For what are we grateful and how have we pleased the Lord? Deuteronomy 8:18 says, “But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” Wasting food and wasting money are sins in good standing among believers in the Western world and are rarely mentioned at public meetings or in private confession.
Too many people attend church as consumers and not as stewards and worshipers. Church buildings have become shopping malls, not sanctuaries, and “doing church” means “doing business” and not worshiping God or encouraging others. “What’s in it for me?” is the most important concern of the average churchgoer, not “How can I become more like Christ and share what I have with others?” If our praying is what it ought to be, we will be transformed from greedy consumers into generous stewards.
It’s unfortunate when families argue during meals and fail to act like stewards who are fed by the gracious Lord in heaven. Their table is not an altar of loving worship but a field of intense battle. Better that we don’t eat at all than that we eat with a belligerent spirit and fail to eat joyfully and thankfully before the Lord.
The two little words us and our indicate that we are stewards along with the people of God. We have already noted that the Lord’s Prayer is a family prayer and we are not solo performers. We may not personally know many of God’s people around the world, but we are praying for them and they for us as we pray the Lord’s Prayer.
Before our Father’s throne,
We pour our ardent prayers;
Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
Our comforts and our cares.
John Fawcett
When Jesus used the phrase “daily bread,” the Jewish crowd listening to him surely must have recalled the manna that fell from heaven six days a week as their ancestors wandered in the wilderness (Exodus 16). No matter how much manna each family gathered, nobody had too little or too much (Exod. 16:18), so nothing was wasted. If a family selfishly tried to store up manna during the week, it bred worms and smelled and had to be thrown away. Only on the sixth day were they allowed to gather extra manna to be set aside to eat on the Sabbath, and that manna didn’t spoil. God sent this wonderful “grain of heaven” and “bread of angels” (Ps. 78:24–25) until the Israelites entered the Promised Land, and then the miracle ceased (Josh. 5:10–12). The Hebrew word manna simply means “What is it?” The thin, frosthke flakes were a mystery the people couldn’t explain, and yet they could eat and be nourished by them day after day.
“So many of us pray because we are driven by need rather than kindled by grace,” wrote British theologian P. T. Forsyth, 22 a statement we need to think about often. God is our generous Father, and his Spirit often stirs our hearts just to give thanks to him for his grace. (For an example of a hymn praising the God of all grace, see Ephesians 1:3–14.) Hunger pangs might motivate us to cry out for food or a job, but how much more should we cry out in faith because we depend on God’s grace!
In John 6, Jesus preached a sermon in which he compared himself to manna. As a result he lost his congregation (6:66). He called himself “the bread of life” (vv. 35, 48) and “the living bread from heaven” (v. 51), and he told the people they must “believe on him” (vv. 40, 65) and “eat his flesh and drink his blood” (vv. 51–56) if they wanted eternal life. The Jews were commanded never to eat animal blood let alone human blood, and they were so offended at our Lord’s words that they rejected him. Of course our Lord was speaking metaphorically: just as Israel ate the manna and it sustained human life, so sinners must receive Christ within their hearts and he will impart eternal life to them. The manna was sent only to Israel, but Jesus came to offer eternal life to the whole world and to give himself for the world (6:33, 51).23
This reminds us that we as God’s people must strengthen our spiritual lives by feeding daily on the Word of God. “People do not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4; see Deut. 8:3). “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Ps. 119:11). Just as the Israelites fed on the manna daily, so we must spend time daily in the Word of God. “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, LORD God Almighty” (Jer. 15:16). “I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread” (Job 23:12).
Not only are we stewards with God’s people, but we are also stewards of God’s people. That may sound strange, but as members of the family of God and the body of Christ, we belong to each other, we need each other, we influence each other, and in love we should minister to one another. Each of us has different gifts and abilities that we should use for building up one another and the church of Jesus Christ, as evidenced in key passages such as Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12–14, and Ephesians 4:1–6:9. We should ask God not only to bless others by meeting their needs but also to make us a blessing to others and share what we have. The Lord says to us as he said to Abraham, “I will bless you . . . and you will be a blessing” (Gen. 12:2–3).
This stewardship principle also applies in our relationships to people outside the family of God. Christian teachers in public schools are stewards as they seek to influence and instruct their students, and so are Christian employers who direct the work of their employees (Eph. 6:5–9; Col. 3:18–4:1). As praying believers, do we make it easier for others to do their best and be their best? Do we encourage others or make life more difficult for them? Do we sacrifice for others or happily allow them to sacrifice for us? Do we strive to make others look good? Do we use our authority so that we build others up or only to promote ourselves?
Joseph was a good steward of his opportunities to help the Egyptians and his own brothers. Ten of his brothers had been cruel to him and he had the authority to punish them, but he refused to do so. Instead, he forgave them. He dealt patiently with his brothers until they came to the place of repentance and confession, and then he gave them a new beginning. Joseph knew that it was important to preserve Jacob’s family, because God had a great work for the nation of Israel to do in the world. In contrast, David was a poor steward of some of his sons, pampering Absalom, Adonijah, and Amnon and failing to discipline them. Yet David attracted many “mighty men” to his army, men who were willing to lay down their lives for their king (2 Sam. 23:8–39). As devoted friends, David and Jonathan encouraged each other and were willing to sacrifice for each other.
Paul had a host of friends and associates in ministry who loved him, prayed for him, and labored with him in the Lord. He was a blessing to them as they were to him. Yes, he and Barnabas had a falling out over John Mark (Acts 13:13; 15:36–41). But that was eventually settled peacefully (Col. 4:10; 2 Tim. 4:11), and both Mark and Barnabas served God faithfully, as did Paul. The early church worked as a team, and Paul was a wise coach and a great player.
How we relate to others, both saved and unsaved, should be a prayer concern for all of us so we can minister to others. It’s much easier for us to ask God to change other people than it is to ask him to change us. What patience Jesus needed as he trained his disciples to continue his work! In three of the Gospels you find him asking, “How long must I put up with you?” (Matt. 17:17; Mark 9:19; Luke 9:41). And think of the grace Jesus demonstrated toward Judas, the deceiver who would betray him. Jesus even washed his feet!
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Prov. 27:17). If somebody is being a file or sandpaper in our lives, let’s ask God to use the experience to polish us, not to scratch or irritate us.
We exercise our stewardship a day at a time, a fact so important it is mentioned twice: “Give us today our daily bread” (italics added). Greek scholars have wrestled with the word epiousios, translated “daily” in the KJV, TNIV, NASB, and NKJV. The word is translated as “for tomorrow,” “needful,” and “sufficient” in other modern English versions. The word hearkens back to Exodus 16 and the daily manna God gave Israel in the wilderness, as well as to Proverbs 30:8: “Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.”
The word daily introduces the subject of time, so let’s take time to consider time and its relationship to the Christian life. As Henry David Thoreau said in the first chapter of his classic book Walden, “As if you could kill time without injuring eternity.” Christian believers respect time because the way we use time prepares us for eternity.
Our universe was created a day at a time and it operates a day at a time. No matter how talented or wealthy people may be, nobody can live two days at a time. (There are people who attempt this feat and pay for it with heart attacks or nervous breakdowns or ulcers.) I heard about a cleaning lady who said to one of her customers, “The trouble with life is that it’s so daily.” But that’s one of the best things about life: it’s daily! If we had to do all our work, carry all our burdens, and make all our decisions at one time, it would crush us. But God has assigned each day its own particular burdens and blessings. One of my favorite Swedish hymns says:
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best—
Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.24
Someone has said that the average American is being “crucified” between two thieves: the regrets of yesterday and the worries about tomorrow. While it’s foolish to ignore yesterday’s costly lessons or tomorrow’s important responsibilities, it’s also foolish to waste today’s opportunities by fretting and worrying instead of acting. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus had a great deal to say about worry (Matt. 6:19–34). He pointed out that the Father feeds the birds of the air and clothes the flowers of the field and will do the same for us if we trust him. He made it clear that success in life is a matter of priorities. “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33). There’s that word give again. We can’t live successfully without God’s grace.
“I wish I had more time!” I’ve said that more than once in my life, and perhaps you have too; but all of us are stewards of twenty-four hours a day. No more, no less. Some years ago I was complaining about my schedule when a friend quietly said, “There’s always time for the will of God.” Ouch! I complained about my schedule at our family dinner one evening and our younger daughter asked, “Dad, who plans your schedule?” Ouch again!
Back in 1748, Benjamin Franklin published his Advice to a Young Tradesman in which he made that famous statement, “Remember that time is money.” But time is much more than money. The apostle Paul tells us that time is opportunity!
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
Ephesians 5:15–16
Note that last phrase: “what the Lord’s will is.” This takes us back to the third request in the Lord’s Prayer: “your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). Remember, the will of God is the expression of the love of God for us. Knowing, loving, and doing the will of God is the key to an effective life. When God’s priorities are our priorities, we avoid time-wasting detours and make progress on the main road God has assigned us. It isn’t usually bad things that take us off the main road, but good things that really aren’t on God’s agenda for us.
When I read the Gospel records, I’m impressed by the way Jesus did his daily work. He was up early to pray and to receive his Father’s orders for the day (Mark 1:35; see Isa. 50:4–5). We don’t see any nervous haste or confusion. He always had time for individuals, and occasional interruptions didn’t irritate him. (Many of us have learned that the interruptions are usually the ministry!) He was often weary and at least once fell sound asleep during a violent storm while in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. In the midst of the noisy crowds, he was a center of calm; and when he was on trial, his commanding poise amazed both his accusers and his judges. If we would submit ourselves to the control of the Holy Spirit as he did, we could follow his example.
We need to remind ourselves repeatedly that we are God’s appointed stewards and that he is prepared to give us what we need so that we may accomplish his will. We are not manufacturers; we are distributors. Our works depend on his grace, and we can’t earn grace. “But he gives us more grace” (James 4:6), and we receive it by faith.