Bent into Shape – His Provision
5/13/18
Matthew 6:11
Sunday AM
Being it’s Mother’s Day let’s begin this AM w/ a few things that come from the mouths of our children:
After sitting in big church one Sunday AM, little Johnny sobbed all the way home. Frustrated she couldn’t console her son, his mom asked 3x’s what’s wrong. LJ finally replied, “The pastor said he wanted all of us to be brought up in a Christian home, but I want to stay w/ you and dad!”
Dear God, I bet it’s hard for you to love all the people in the world. There are only 4 people in my family and sometimes I find it hard to even like them. Sally
Dear God, thank you for my baby brother, but what I really wanted was a pony! Maybe next time! Bruce
To stay in sync w/ our series – 3 yr. old Reese prayed – Our Father who does art in heaven HOWARD be thy name…
If you’re just joining us – we’re in a series on the Disciple’s Prayer (Lord’s Prayer) seeking to understand what Jesus was teaching His followers (and us) about how to commune w/ God. So when Jesus offered this prayer He was inviting His disciples into intimate, face-to-face conversation w/ God.
pray (proseuchomai) pro = facing toward – refers to one who seeks God’s face. euchomai = to utter aloud. Meaning prayer is a personal, face-to-face encounter w/ God.
Jesus was teaching His disciples the pattern for prayer and not a substitute that we might get face-to-face and bent into shape w/ Him.
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. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Mt. 6:10-13
Up to this point, Jesus was teaching us that the absolute focal point of prayer is the name/glory of God and the fulfillment of His Kingdom coming. This emphasis was to remind us that prayer begins w/ God, continues w/ God, and ultimately ends w/ God. WHY? B/c prayer is always about God and never about us – we’re just the recipients of gracious favor.
Explain – if we have a need and God meets that need according to His riches in glory – who’s glorified? Him or us? He is. But we’re the beneficiaries of His favor. If we seek His direction/protection and receive it – we might be the benefactors of His generosity, but He gets the credit.
Prayer is never about what we can get from God but about what God can reveal about Himself to us – and He wants us to see Him for who He is and experience His will for our lives. So when God doesn’t answer a prayer in the manner we desire, b/c it might bring harm to our lives – it reveals His love for us. When we seek something outside of His will and He doesn’t allow it, it reveals His patient kindness/grace b/c He’s protecting us from ourselves – showing us that He’s a good, good Father to us.
Even when He allows us to experience challenges, heartache, difficulty, He’s bringing us into alignment and dependence on Him b/c He knows our need to grow and to be strengthened is essential to our success in life so our lives might bring glory to Him.
In light of this, Jesus told us to pray – Give us this day our daily bread (Matthew 6:11).
In praying in this manner, Jesus is inviting us to petition Him for His provision. He’s inviting us into daily personal interaction and dependence. But what are we praying?
We are ADMITTING Our Need/Dependence on God
The first thing it means is we’re admitting to God our need for Him and His provision in our lives – and we’re accepting our dependence. This is a prayer of humility/submission.
If we were all being honest, I think we’d admit how scary it is that we can so quickly convince ourselves of our ability to sustain ourselves independently of God. It’s terrifying how we can live as if God doesn’t exist – or at least in a manner that proclaims we can handle life on our own.
In praying give us this day our daily bread, we’re confessing to God that we can’t do it w/out Him. We’re confessing that w/out His provision/guidance we’d all be helpless, hopeless, and hapless. But do we really believe this?
By the looks of our culture/tenor of our conversation the answer is NO – we don’t believe it. We believe we can handle anything everything life throws at us through our own abilities/ingenuity. This is the nature of the flesh – I can do this w/out God!
Truth is most of us don’t see our need to absolutely depend on God b/c we have so much according to the economy of this world. We have most every creature comfort available to us so we only turn to God when things are desperate – yet that’s not how things work. God wants our dependence.
So I find it interesting that Jesus used the metaphor of bread – which to His audience was a most basic life provision. Jesus was inviting us to ask God to provide for us the things we need to live/thrive in our daily lives. It was showing us our need for Him.
This request recalls the time during the exodus when God provided manna (bread from heaven) for His people. Having been miraculously delivered from Egyptian bondage, the Israelites crossed the Red Sea under the leadership of Moses. If you know the story, in spite of witnessing arguably the greatest miracle of the OT, the Israelites began to drift and complain b/c they were hungry and living w/out the creature comforts they came to enjoy in Egypt despite their treatment.
If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted. Instead, you brought us into the wilderness to make this whole assembly die of hunger. Exodus 16:3
Oh the lessons we could learn from this verse alone about the nature/inclinations of the flesh and the ways of men.
They want to blame Moses/God for their plight although they were where God wanted them. So in response, God provided to meet their need giving them bread from heaven.
I am going to rain bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. 16:4
What happened? God provided for their need by providing manna (bread) for them to eat and they quickly discovered that God was their only source for sustenance – He was their provision. Note vs 16:11f
The Lord said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the AM you will be filled w/ bread. Then you will know I am the Lord your God.’” That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the AM there was a layer of dew around the camp. When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the deser floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’”
God provided the entire nation w/ manna/quail. Not just for one day, but every day they were in the wilderness (40 yrs) – b/c He was their sole provision.
Now I’m sure it got old. One day they had manna/quail and the next… quail/manna. I’m sure the ladies got together a cookbook for how to boil, grill, fry, sauté, and bake manna. They had manna soup, manna casseroles, and for dessert… wait for it… ba-manna splits.
Point – b/c of their knowledge of the Exodus, when Jesus told them to pray – give us this day our daily bread… the disciples remembered the need of the nation in the Exodus and how God met them at the point of their need w/ bread from heaven to show them that He alone was their provider.
In the same way, when we pray – give us this day our daily bread, we’re saying to God, in spite of my gifts, talents, abilities, and ingenuity – I will trust in You alone for my provision and I’ll always remember You’re my provider.
II We are ACKNOWLEDGING our Appetites
In acknowledging our appetites we’re confessing to God our propensity to try and satisfy the lust of our eyes, the lust of our flesh, and the pride of our lives. We’re getting honest w/ ourselves before God for our need for greed.
So let’s be honest w/ ourselves – there’s w/in every one of us a desire to be secure/comfortable in this world. We want to know we have enough and that our needs/wants are being met. We want to retire/enjoy life. We want to travel and experience God’s creation. And in many ways there’s nothing wrong w/ this. Yet we must be on guard to make certain we’re not driven by these desires but are driven by our love for God and desire to do His will.
I’m reminded of a story of a man w/ 9 sons who had a simple rule when eating – dad always gets the last piece of chicken. If he didn’t want it, then the fastest fork wins. One stormy evening as his 9 sons eyed the last piece of chicken, suddenly the lights went out due to lightening – piercing the darkness, everyone heard a yell and when the lights returned – the dad’s hand was on the chicken w/ 9 forks stuck in it.
To appreciate and control our appetites for more, let’s return to the story of the Exodus.
The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed. Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.” However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until AM, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. Exodus 16:15-20
What happened? B/c of fear God wasn’t going to provide the next day, some of the people took more than they needed. This is just like us. We’re so afraid our appetites won’t be satisfied and our wants won’t be met, we take matters into our own hands and horde it.
Think about the rich, young ruler who came to Jesus asking what must I do to be inherit eternal life? Jesus told him that He had to trust God instead of in his wealth – so He told the man to sell everything and follow Him… but he couldn’t let go. He couldn’t bring himself to control his appetites.
Suffice to say, while our appetites might want more, no one can eat enough today to sustain him for the next 6 mo. nor can they inhale a sufficient amount of air into their lungs to supply them w/ the oxygen they need for the next week. Thus our appetites must be controlled by the reality that God can supply all our daily needs according to His riches in glory as we need them – and we must trust Him for them.
Point – When we pray, give us this day our daily bread… we’re acknowledging to God that we have earthly appetites and that we’re willing to be honest about them and keep them in check so we never seek to provide and care for ourselves independent of God.
Which brings us to the next truth about praying – give us this day our daily bread – we’re accepting our responsibility to be faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us.
III We are ACCEPTING our Responsibility
We’re accepting responsibility for not getting ahead of God by trying to provide for ourselves independent of Him. We’re accepting responsibility for not walking alongside of God treating Him like He is our co-pilot, nor are we jumping on His back looking for a handout. We’re choosing to walk in stride behind Jesus living responsibly dependent on Him.
We trust God for His provision and then follow His leading. We allow Him to provide but we also go out and pick it up as He provides. We live responsibly under His provision as we seek to live out His will for our lives.
It also means to steward His provision and to live generously toward God, towards God’s people, and towards any person in need of God. As I give to God my first and best, I also give sacrificially to see that others experience His grace.
So God calls us to manage what He has entrusted to us by loving Him more than we love ourselves and the world. Look at what Jesus says just a few verses later in Mt. 6:19f.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:19-21
This is a call to wisely steward your blessings for His glory and to not to be lured into trying to horde them to protect your appetites.
To steward is to manage what has been entrusted to you by your master. The question is how much has been entrusted – all of it! The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it...
As stewards, we’re to manage all things (our time, talents, treasures, tongue, and temple in a way that God not only gets the first/best – but so that all of it is used to honor Him and see His kingdom come.
God owns it all. We’re called to give Him the first 10th so He has our hearts and then we’re to manage the other 90% for His glory. So when we pray – give us this day our daily bread… we’re committing to God to faithful stewardship.
IV We are APPRECIATING God’s Generosity
Finally, when we pray give us this day our daily bread… we are giving thanks to God for His generous provision in our lives – the food, clothes, shelter, friendships… everything!
Enter his gates w/ thanksgiving, and his courts w/ praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 100:4-5
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is w/in me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you w/ good so your youth is renewed like the eagle's. Psalm 103:1-5
When we pray – give us this day our daily bread… We’re telling God how thankful we are for His care/provision in our lives. So instead of living entitled we express gratitude. And this sense of thankfulness drives us to live for His Kingdom and righteousness. It encourages us to share His blessings w/ us to others – and it causes us to shout from the rooftops the glory of His name.
The Gift of Madeline
