Turn with me to Matthew's gospel, Matthew 6. Matthew 6, we'll be focusing specifically on verse 11 tonight. But let's begin in Matthew 6, verse 9. Hear now the word of the living God. In this manner, therefore, 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 this day our daily bread. Amen. Let's pray. Lord, we pray that in this short time, you would encourage our hearts, teach us to pray, teach us truths through prayer that we find as our Lord has given us a model, and we pray that you would fix our gaze yet again on the person and work and saving grace of Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen. Well, we began to look at the Lord's Prayer last week. We are working our way through the doctrines of the Heidelberg Catechism, and we looked at those first few petitions. And if you weren't with us, I'm just going to summarize by saying this. Give us this day our daily bread is not the first command of the Lord's prayer. And when I say command, I mean even petition, request of God. The first request of God is really a command. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Make Your name hallowed. It is in a command type tense. Not that we're commanding God as if we own Him or rule over Him, but such that all of our prayers are marked first by a desire that God's glory, His fame, His renown would be the desire of our hearts, and that the rest of the prayer is seen through the lens that God is our focus. So our Father, the one who is close, the one who is near, the one that we can come to at any point, who's in heaven, who transcends all things, make your name hallowed in our midst, in our hearts, in our churches, in the hearts of our children, in our grandchildren, in the hearts of this land. Your kingdom come. Your will be done here as it is where you are, on earth as it is in heaven. And then and only then in this model prayer do we get to, quite frankly, where the majority of our prayers tend to end up. Asking God for things. Asking that God would give us things. And so it's our focus tonight then to look at the first request of, quote, stuff for us materially. Matthew 611, give us this day our daily bread. In the Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day 50, the fourth petition. What is the fourth petition? The answer, and these words are on the back of your bulletin if you want to look at them this week. Give us this day our daily bread, that is, be pleased to provide for all our bodily need, that we may thereby know that thou art the only fountain of all good, and that without thy blessing neither our care and labor nor thy gifts can profit us. and may therefore withdraw our trust from all creatures and place it in thee alone." What I want to do is take the few moments that we have together and look at these few words, these seven words, namely, give us this day our daily bread. That word bread there is a word that means more than just literal bread. Sometimes we have a tendency to take literal words in the Bible and over-symbolize them. But a lot of times we have the opposite error, and that is we take certain words and we think, well, Jesus is only teaching us to pray about that glutinous material that we eat from time to time. Rolls, toast, give us this day our daily bread. But really, Jesus is teaching us to pray for more than just wheat and grain. He's asking that we, by taking a symbol that was common in his day, that we pray for all things. Willemus Abrakel and his work, The Christian's Reasonable Service, which is really an exposition, a four-volume exposition of the Heidelberg Catechism. I cannot commend it to you strongly enough. It is a systematic theology, but it is rich and pastoral and devotional. In fact, many of the points that we'll see tonight just kind of come from the work of Abrakel. He says this, All manner of livelihood, particularly food, is expressed here by the word bread, this being the preeminent and most nourishing food. It is the most essential food, for without bread one cannot live well. I guess some modern diets would debate that, but we won't get into that. However, it is possible to live without meat or fish, these being referred to as supplementary foods. It is the most pleasant of all foods. Bread always tastes pleasant when we are hungry. We never tire of it. It is the most common of all foods, for people of all ranks, high and low, make use of it. It is the food most used in moderation. And we're back to the diets, aren't we? For we desire no more of it than we need for the satisfaction of our hunger." Take his actual descriptions of whether you like bread or not out for a moment. What he's pointing to is bread is the common denominator by which Jesus is teaching us to pray. All people know what bread is. All people know that it is a food that is often used for rich and for poor. Lord, give us today what we need. But when Jesus is teaching us to pray, give us this day our daily bread, He's coming on the heels of much of the Old Testament. Just a few verses, if you will. I flip over to Psalm 136. Psalm 136 and verse 25. A description of thanksgiving to the Lord. And I don't know if you've ever read Psalm 136. It's really a Psalm that's meant to be read out loud, sometimes perhaps in groups, because the Lord is to be praised for a whole host of things. And then it's like there is a refrain or a chorus of, for his mercy endures forever, for his mercy endures forever. On and on it goes. And one of the things that God has given thanks for is bread. Psalm 136, verse 25, describing God, who gives food to all flesh, for His mercy endures forever. There's a pattern also even prior to the Psalms, and I'm just giving you a couple of examples perhaps to jot down, but Genesis chapter 28, Genesis 28, Genesis 28 and verse 20, Jacob's encounter with the Lord at Bethel. And you know of this encounter. But towards the end, Notice what happens and what Jacob says. Then Jacob rose, verse 18, early in the morning and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel, house of God. But the name of that city has been Lutz previously. Then Jacob made a vow saying, if God will be with me and keep me in this way that I'm going and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on. That I come back to my father's house in peace. Then the Lord shall be my God. Abraham, Isaac, and then Jacob. The continual movement of the scriptures getting us to Jesus. And what is it that Jacob says? That one of the things that he's looking to God for is bread. Daily bread. Examples abound. We could skip from Genesis to Exodus to Leviticus and on and see that when Jesus is teaching us in Matthew's gospel, give us this day our daily bread, he's really bringing to bear all that the Old Testament says regarding dependence on God for all things that we need. Jesus says, give us this day our daily bread. food, clothing, sustenance, shelter, provision. Lord, this is what we're asking you for. But in addition to the word bread, we must look at the phrase give us. Give us. Two things regarding this request. Number one, it is God who provides to us all that we have. Now I don't know about you, But I don't want to take one phrase or one sentence of the Bible and make of it what is not meant. But when Jesus teaches us to pray, give us this day our daily bread, he's giving us a whole systematic theology, a whole textbook in these seven simple words. All that we need, bread, we are to come to God and ask for because all that we have and all that we need and all that we will need, we receive. When Jesus teaches us to pray, give us, He's teaching us, among other things, that it is God who provides for us all that we have. One example from the Old Testament, Psalm 104. Psalm 104. Psalm 104 verses 14 and 15. Listen to the way that God is described. Psalm 104 verses 14 and 15. He, that is God, causes the grass to grow for the cattle. and vegetation for the service of man, that he may bring forth food from the earth, and wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread which strengthens man's heart. Notice, all of these things in this psalm of praise to God come from God. It is God who gives these things. And it is not by mistake in Psalm 104 verses 14 and 15 that we're meant to see that even the things that result from our work come from God. Notice what he says, God causes the grass to grow for the cattle and vegetation for the service of man, that he may bring forth food from the earth. So even our own work, our labor and our toil, which results in food and clothing and shelter, it is God who gives. Jesus is teaching us, whatever you have, whatever you need, ask for it. because God is the one who gives. God is the giver. But another component in this phrase, give us, is not only that it is God who gives us what we have and what we need, but secondly, we are dependent creatures. We are dependent creatures. When we have to ask God for our daily bread, when we have to ask God for the things that we need, It's revealing something not only about God. God is the giver. But it's revealing something about us. We are the recipients. We're dependent creatures. One example of this, Psalm 136 verse 25. Psalm 136 verse 25. We read this a moment ago. God, who remembers us in our lowly state, for His mercy endures forever, and rescued us from our enemies, for His mercy endures forever, who gives food to all flesh, for His mercy endures forever. Not only does our request to God to give us the things that we need mean that it is God who provides them, it also means that we are dependent Elsewhere the scripture would say, what is it that you have that you did not receive? But in our day, particularly when things are going really well, It's very difficult for us to think about God giving us our daily bread. It's very difficult for us to think that the fridge and the pantry that are full are really God's provision. We know that God generally gives us our heartbeats and the breath and ultimately kind of what we need, but it is our labor that has filled the pantry. And it's our labor that has filled the freezer and stocked the fridge. But is this so, brothers and sisters? Or does it only appear that way because for this season, in God's mercy, He's given us even more than we need? I don't know if you remember that show from the 70s, The Waltons. I grew up watching that show, and Christy and I have just recently started introducing that show to the kids. And if you watch The Waltons, and I'm not calling The Waltons an exposition of the Bible's finest, But one thing that you remember is that the show takes place when? During the Great Depression. And John Boy and all of his friends and siblings and everyone kind of walk us through what it was like to live during the Great Depression. But whether one is a believer or not, when you see a show like that, you can remember that there have been times where people actually needed to see themselves as dependent upon God for their very next meal. Jesus is teaching us when he says, hey, pray to God, give us. Number one, God provides all that we have. And number two, that we are dependent creatures. And if God didn't provide, we would not have. Give us this day our daily bread. Well, that takes us then to the middle phrase, this day our daily. This day our daily. There are three things that I think we can see in this phrase. Number one, the word daily. It's not by mistake that Jesus says, give us this day our daily bread. He could have taught us to pray, give us this day our bread. Give us this day our bread, or give us this week or this month. But it's not by mistake, and we're not making too much of words to see that Jesus' instruction for us when we ask for provision is that it is daily provision. That not only are we dependent creatures, but we rely on the Lord moment by moment, day after day. We can see this in other parts of the Scriptures, can't we? Where Jesus talks about worrying about tomorrow, for today has enough trouble of its own. That there is a constant dependence upon God. In fact, just a few verses later, Jesus says this in Matthew 6, 25. Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink. Nor about your body, what you will put on, is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you, by worrying, can add a cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin, and yet I say to you that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed or clothed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore, do not worry, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear? For after all these things the Gentile seeks, for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. By the way, I grew up memorizing that verse. Some of us sung that verse in vacation Bible school or Sunday school. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. You remember that song if you grew up in Sunday school. What are the these things? Well, the things that he's speaking of right before it. Clothing and food and drink. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." And I don't know about you, but when you get to that point in the Sermon on the Mount, you might be thinking, Jesus is giving us a real good pep talk on anxiety. And then he ends it, this section anyway, with, today's got enough trouble of its own. And you think, all the air comes out of the balloon. Lord, you were building us up to not worry, and now he says, Today's got enough trouble of its own. Is Jesus trying to say we have enough today for which we should be anxious? In other words, Jesus is saying, hey, don't worry about tomorrow. Because you've got plenty to worry about today. In fact, I want you to live your life in anxiety and worry. Or, in the context, is He saying on the heels of don't worry about all these things. The Lord will provide. On the heels of all this, then, is he saying, today, and today's worries, God is God. Don't try to build up tomorrow because I've already taught you to pray. Give us this day our daily bread, you see. So this is a daily dependence. The number two is we've just looked at. Jesus teaching us to pray about our daily bread also teaches us something about anxiety regarding the future. That we are asked as dependent creatures to come to the giver of all things and to pray for today. We're not promised tomorrow. Neither, however, are we denied that if we live tomorrow, God will provide for his children. Today. Lord, give us our daily bread. And so this has a way over time, if we pray this way, to cause us to worry less. This is not to say that there aren't biological reasons, physiological reasons why we may battle anxiety, or troubles which will naturally cause us to have grief and fear. But it is to say the Lord is asking his people to pray daily bread because we are a people who are to daily depend on him. And if I am so focused on depending on him today, it has a way of casting out tomorrow. Until I sleep and wake and find that tomorrow is now today. Give us this day our daily bread. This phrase, daily bread, is about our daily dependence on the Lord. But it's also about a lack of anxiety that we should have regarding tomorrow. For we are called to pray for things today. But lastly then, this phrase, this day, our daily, helps us to focus on one other aspect, and that is being content with what the Lord provides. being content with what the Lord provides. He gives us what we need. He gives us what we need. Psalm 147 speaks to this. Psalm 147 verses 12 through 14. Psalm 147. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem. Praise your God, O Zion, for He has strengthened the bars of your gates. He has blessed your children within you. He makes peace in your borders and fills you with the finest wheat. He sends out His command to the earth. His word runs very swiftly. He gives snow like wool. He scatters the frost like ashes. He casts out His hail like morsels. Who can stand before His cold? He sends out His word and melts them. He causes His wind to blow and the waters flow. He declares His word to Jacob. His statutes and judgments to Israel. Do you notice how this began? God blesses us. He blesses us. But when we pray to the Lord, give us this day our daily bread, we are being instructed, brothers and sisters, to be content that when he answers that prayer with daily bread, he's answered it with what we need. I have a dear brother who I'll never forget, and we've said it several times since, a few years ago, made the statement, I didn't need that. I remember having that conversation with this brother and asking him what he meant. And he said, well, if I had needed it, the Lord would have given it to me. And I don't have it. So I didn't need it. There is something akin to this prayer in this statement. Praying, give us this day our daily bread, means that when God answers from the fridge, from the pantry, from the freezer, or from the meal at the mission when we're homeless, that God gives His people what they need. So I think, brothers and sisters, that when we read, give us this day our daily bread, we are to follow suit and pray to the Lord. Lord, give us what we need, please. But Jesus is teaching us a theological lesson. He's teaching us that it is God who provides all things. All things that we need. Not just literal bread, but food and clothing and shelter and drink. That He's the one who gives it. We're dependent upon Him. That as we pray for daily bread, it's a daily dependence upon Him. We're not looking for tomorrow's bread today. That our anxieties, which so often are about tomorrow, might be quenched or at least lessened in many cases. If we focus on today, and that when the Lord answers this prayer, and he will answer it, and our food is on our table, and our money is in the bank, and our pantry is stocked full or seems to be bare, that we can be content knowing that our Lord and our God has given us what we need. My challenge is when the pantry looks empty, I will say to myself in my own mind and my own soul, the Lord hasn't provided because after we fix this meal, there's not enough for tomorrow. And if we are bathed in this prayer and the verses which come around it, God's answering of today's bread. He's not giving us tomorrow's bread today. When tomorrow comes, He will provide. Let's pray. Our Lord and our God, teach us to pray this kind of theological prayer. A few simple words and yet we ask that our anxieties would be cast upon you, that we would be content with what you provide, that we would be creatures who value our dependency upon you, that we seek to come to you moment by moment, day by day, and that as an act of worship, your provision And our thanksgiving for it would be seen. Lord, we ask your guidance as we think about being people of prayer. Our Lord who is our Father and yet transcends all things, we pray that you would indeed make your name hallowed and holy and set apart in our hearts and minds, in our homes and lives. That your will would be done here as it is where you are, that your kingdom would come to bear in all things in our lives and that today you would give us what we need. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.