Good morning, one and all
“This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” [Matthew 6:9-13]
“…your will be done…”–this is oftentimes the phrase in the Lord’s Prayer that I focus on as I pray. For a moment I thought that only one will’ existed–God’s will. But I quickly realized that out of the 120 billion people who have ever lived on earth, there were approximately 120 billion wills’. Everybody is born with their own will and desires. But there is only one will that will benefit everyone–God’s will. So Jesus asked us to pray that His will be done. Not yours, not mine. But God’s.
“…on earth as it is in heaven.”–certainly the will of God is done in heaven, but it is God’s desire it also be done on earth just as it is in heaven. Unfortunately, ever since the Fall of Mankind, God’s will cannot be accomplished over all the earth. So those who desire to do God’s will must search for (or manufacture) pockets of people who respect this part of the Lord’s Prayer. Those pockets might be your family, your church, or your neighbors. We can start small and see where God leads.
“Give us today our daily bread.“–I envision two scenarios with this phrase. One, I think of the 40-year wandering of the Hebrews in the wilderness, when the Lord provided daily manna to sustain them: “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.'” Daily bread.[Exodus 16:4a,b,c]
And two, we would do well to realize, no matter our financial situation, that everything that we have comes from God: “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] You may well think that you gave yourself the skills required to make it in this world. But I say, think again: “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” [Deuteronomy 8:17-18a,b]
Does one have to count on God to provide their daily needs? No. But I know many people who would truly say, “It sure helps.” Are you one of those people?
Blessings,
Keith