Lent Bible Reading Series
5 March
2014 to 20th April 2014
Week 4/7: by Major Kath Jones, Asst.
Spiritual Life Development Secretary
|
Welcome to
the Lent Bible Reading Series
by Major Kath Jones - Asst. Spiritual Life Development Secretary
by Major Kath Jones - Asst. Spiritual Life Development Secretary
Week
Four
Give us this day our daily bread.
Monday 24th
Bible Reading – Isaiah 55, Acts 2: 42 – 47
The chapter from Isaiah invites us to accept the
provision God has made for us. I like the line that says ‘Listen to me and eat
what is good’. I remember as a very small child been given the crust off a loaf
of bread, fresh from the bakers, spread with best butter, there is nothing
better! I can almost taste this treat as I write!
I am sure we would still say that bread is the
staff of life, just as it was two thousand years ago. In Jewish tradition the
father of the family would take the daily baked bread, break it and give
thanks. He would then share the broken bread with those sat around the table.
Not surprising then that Jesus spoke a lot about bread!
Pray:
Break thou the bread of life O Lord, to me,
As thou didst break the loaves beside the sea.
Beyond the sacred page I seek thee, Lord,
My
spirit pants for thee, O living word’. (Mary
Lathbury SASB 650).
Tuesday 25th
Bible Reading – Psalm 104: 10 – 15, Matthew 6: 25 –
34
In the original script of Matthew and Luke’s gospel
is a Greek word ‘epiousis’ meaning daily; as in give us this day our daily
bread, or so it was supposed! Apparently when this word was scrutinised by
biblical scholars it was suggested that its meaning was doubtful and somewhat
confusing. Some of the early church fathers thought ‘epiousis’ was referring to
consecrated bread for use in communion, others thought maybe it was bread that
would be shared at the second coming of Christ. Today the thinking is that the
word ‘epiousis’ means tomorrow’s bread; we ask therefore for enough bread for
the next twenty four hours, no more and no less.
Pray: We thank you Lord for this our food,
much more because of Jesus blood. Let manna to our souls be given, the bread of
life sent down from heaven.
Wednesday 26th
Bible Reading – Exodus 16: 1-5, 13 – 19, 23 – 32, 1 Kings 17
: 1 - 15
O those troublesome Israelites, they should have
been acquainted with the line from Toplady’s song, ‘Day by day the manna fell:
O to learn this lesson well! Still, by constant mercy fed, give me, Lord, my
daily bread’! Elijah had to learn to be totally reliant on God’s daily
provision. Today’s readings remind us that we should put our trust in God’s
providential care. Whilst understanding the truth that God provides what we
need, not what we want!
Consider: In western society we throw away a huge quantity of untouched food, how
does this fact make you feel when many in the world are starving?
Thursday 27th
Thursday 27th
Bible
Reading – Luke 12: 13 – 21, 1Timothy 6: 17 – 19
In the parable of the rich fool, Jesus describes
the consequences of storing rather than sharing what you have! Can you remember
a few years ago when we had the butter mountain and then the cheese mountain?
This excess food production was shared with the population, many corps became
distribution centres. Thinking about this parable perhaps it would be helpful
to remember that the Lord’s Prayer says, ‘Give us our daily bread’.
Meaning this is not just a personal prayer but a corporate prayer, one in which
we consider the needs of others as well as our own.
Prayer: Lord, turn our hearts outwards to see the needs of our brothers and
sisters, and give us all, today, tomorrow’s bread.
Friday
28th
Bible Reading – John 6: 25 – 35
In today’s reading Jesus describes himself as ‘the
bread of life’; and that those who come to him will never go hungry. Jesus
meant that just as bread is an essential for us nutritionally, Jesus is the one
who sustains our spiritual well-being. How do we benefit from this provision?
By regularly feeding on God’s word and communing with him in prayer.
Prayer:
O bread of God I choose thee now with gladness,
Though sweet the taste of earthly gain may be!
My spirit pines in poverty and sadness,
Unless my sustenance be found in thee.
Lord God, I come thy life in mine is waking;
What’er I am I bring into thy care:
Thy loving hands will bless me
In the
breaking of bread thou givest, and I long to share.
(Catherine Baird).
Saturday 29th
Saturday 29th
Bible Reading – John 21: 4 - 13
‘I see your
hands, hands that turned water into wine, turned simple fish and bread into a
banquet.
And now
you turn to me offering the bread, inviting me to take and eat and share the
meal with you.
My
hands reach out in awe, the smallest frustration of the day forgotten.
And
like those men around the fire
I dare
not ask, “Who are you Lord? I know.’
(Eddie Askew).
Consider: Perhaps you could arrange to invite some friends to share a meal with
you. One suggestion could be that you share the meal in silence whilst someone
reads a portion of scripture (or listen to an audio recording), this is a
practice that Benedictine monks adhere to for their main meal of the day.
Sunday 30th
Sunday 30th
Bible Reading – John 6: 37 – 51
From our reading today Jesus makes a clear
indication that it would be necessary for him to give his life for the
salvation of the world. The analogy he uses is that of bread; verse 51 says
‘This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world’. Just as
bread is broken, and given for our sustenance, so Jesus’ body is broken in
crucifixion for our salvation. A loaf of bread, very ordinary, necessary to our
daily nutrition, yet if we had to, I guess we could manage without bread.
However Jesus, the amazing “bread of life” we need to ‘feed on’ constantly for
our spiritual health’s sake.
Pray:
Thou art the bread of life O Lord, to me.
Thy holy word the truth that saveth me:
Give me to eat and live with thee above:
Teach me to love thy truth, for thou art love. (Alexander Graves)
