Lent Bible Reading Series Week 4

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

Week Four

Give us this day our daily bread.

Monday 24^th

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 25^th

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 27^th

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 28^th

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 29^th  

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 30^th

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)