DAILY BREAD, DAILY LIGHT, DAILY JOY

'Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread.' Matthew 6:11

I guess I would say bread is my downfall. I absolutely love the smell of fresh bread coming out of the oven, and definitely lack self control when it comes to sampling it. I am thankful that daily fresh bread is always prepared and on our banqueting table….buffet style. I must but come and fill my plate...over and over and over again. I am grateful for the reminder of the certainty of our daily provision. As in I Chronicles 6 - every one of those worshipers (Levite leaders) received a City, 'along with its pasturelands;' I understand pasturelands as that place where the Good Shepherd would have fresh bread ready for His sheep. So certain is this provision that the 'along with its pasturelands' idea occurs 38 times in one single chapter! I am so tempted to write them all..'with its pasturelands, with its pasturelands, with its pasturelands, with its pasturelands, with its pasturelands, with its pasturelands, with its pasturelands, etc." You get the idea!

Daily Bread for Every Need

Whatever that place to which the Lord calls you or me today, it comes 'with its pasturelands.' In today's chapter of your life, our Lord supplies you with the respective 'pasturelands' full of exactly the daily provision you need -- even if today takes you to 38 different places of need...or more! This 'pastureland' may be a special portion of Scripture, or a testimony, or a sense of a whisper from the Lord, or unexpected provision, or even a picture or illustration that touches you at your deepest area of need. Every one of our places of need comes 'with its pasturelands.' As we set apart our hearts to receive encouragement from the Lord's provision,' available even for the one whose inheritance was 'in the wilderness with its pasturelands,' the Lord 'lifts up the light of His face upon us; puts more joy in my heart than when their grain and new wine abound," (Ps 4:6). Thus, we receive, in addition to our daily bread, daily light, and daily joy....more joy even than when those around us are abounding in those visible things (grain and wine) that bring satisfaction. As I become aware of the Lord's specific provision and revelation for me, for my husband, and for my children, it is as though there were a constant internal display of fireworks--God's lights--shooting off at well-orchestrated intervals, giving me that internal joy that says "oooohhhh, I really liked that one!"

Pasturelands Available for All

The same pasturelands available to you and me are available to our children. I pray the Lord turns their hearts towards Him, softening those hard places, giving peace in those anxious places, sowing hope in those fearful places, cultivating trust in those angry places. About a month ago as my husband was praying for one of our children, he sensed the Lord showing him a message of encouragement he needed to pass along to our sweet daughter: "feed yourself." In other words, as she is growing into her own faith now, spiritually it is time for her to feed herself rather than depending on us and others to feed her. The Lord is our Shepherd, feeding us and our children as He makes us all lie down in those green pastures, abundant and lush.


Filled with Hope

This latest post about 'daily bread' has really gotten me out of some pickles....we have faced lots of challenges with our kids in the past month -- rebellion, money challenges, deception, academic stretching; AND we have experienced amazing blessings -- unexpected provision; one with a heart longing for more of the Lord's integrity, determined to follow the Lord like Noah no matter what friends are doing; another telling me last night, "mom, I am praying God makes me like Job - I want to be like him because do you know what God said about him in Job chapter 1? God said 'There is no one like him on the face of the whole earth.' Mom, I want God to say that about me." These blessings are HUGE for the teen and young adult age!

In conclusion, I would say that these invisible spiritual pasturelands, ubiquitous, fill me with gratitude for the good and equip me to face the bad and and ugly with enduring, expectant HOPE! :)