Our Daily Bread

In the Our Father, we ask the Lord for our daily bread.

There’s plenty of theological discussion about what these words mean, what they meant at the time of Jesus. But what strikes me is this: we’re not asking for bread for next week, next month, or the rest of our lives.

Just today. Just this moment.

Even though Christ provides eternal bread, we ask only for what we need right now. That tells us something.

It tells us we’ll have to come back. This isn’t a one-and-done prayer. We’re going to need him again tomorrow.

It tells us this day has enough to concern us. We don’t need to plan for next week’s bread. Today’s challenges are sufficient.

Think about how we actually live. We’re either replaying yesterday or rehearsing tomorrow. We’re worried about what was or anxious about what could be.

But Christ teaches us to ask for bread today. To find God in this moment. To trust him for what we need right now, not stockpile provisions for a future we can’t control.

Daily bread. Not weekly. Not monthly. Daily.

There’s a reason for that.