“God sees it all crystal clear. He’s never unsure or afraid or intimidated by the gaps. He allows missing pieces so that we don’t have to do it all on our own. This is where His provision fits in. He always sees the shape of the missing pieces and gives us a portion of Himself, which sometimes looks like a loaf, other times manna, but most of all like Jesus.”- Lysa TerKeurst
“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.’ “- Matthew 6:9-11 (NIV)
As Lysa TerKeurst moves on in Chapter 11 of Forgiving What You Can’t Forget, she notes that Jesus’ first request as He taught the disciples how to pray is for daily bread. Furthermore, Lysa notes, bread takes on many different forms in the Bible:
- a loaf from the oven (Leviticus 2:4)
- manna from heaven (Deuteronomy 8:13)
- Jesus, the bread of life (John 6:35)
Certainly, all three forms make God’s perfect provision. However, if we only recognize the loaf of bread as good and most fitting, we risk missing the manna all around us. Or even Jesus Himself. So, if the loaf of bread is what we want – or even expect – from God, we may question His provision or love. If that bread fails to look like what we think it should. Maybe, Lysa suggests, we like the loaf of bread because we work for it. Thus, it gives us a sense of control.
On the other hand, manna represents what God simply gives. Yet, even though God supplied daily manna, the Israelites need to leave their tents to pick it up. Hence, manna demonstrates consistency and control. As a result, we feel like we’re trusting God. In reality, though, we’re just counting on God to the level He comes through for us.
Finally, Jesus Himself = the best kind of bread. But we can’t control or consistently demand that He deliver on our timetable. Therefore, Lysa exhorts:
“If we have Jesus today, we are living in answered prayer and perfect provision. The one who brings about good, even from the awful we are seeing with our physical eyes, is actively working on our behalf right now.”
Today’s question: What Scriptures help you trust God’s crystal clear vision? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Your prayers aligning with His faithfulness”
