The New Year carries a lot of the illusions that a new day - or any year for that matter - brings. While our lives are filled with real tasks and duties and pain and pleasure, they can also veil the purpose for that particular day in the light of eternity.
What would happen to my life if I saw the events of today and the next 365 days as pilgrimage steps on the way to heaven?
“The Lord’s Prayer” or “Our Father” is a prayer-portal unlike any other in that it outlines this very concept in a prayer.
The transition from, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done” to “Give us this day our daily bread” carries eternal themes that could make every one of us more relaxed. If we saw our daily bread as the means of bringing the kingdom to earth and as a way of feeding our pilgrimage to heaven, we might look at provision in a different light. Jesus supplemented necessities and food with a chill-pill.
PHOTO CREDIT (& BAKING): GARY HALBEDEL
It’s very kind of God to have Jesus spell this out. We don’t know the median income of the crowd that Jesus spoke to on that day. But most probably, they had monthly camel payments and rent and grocery bills. Who among them, and us as well, has not been uptight about money at some point?
By putting things like daily bread into the perspective of His eternal kingdom, Jesus mitigated the acid in our stomachs while feeding us for a lifetime rather than giving us a recipe for one meal.
PORTAL TO HEAVEN: Jesus removed our illusion of our perceived needs by serving “daily bread” as it is in heaven. 🍞
Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content…But you, O man of God… pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…You cannot serve God and mammon.
1 Timothy 6:6-8,11 NKJV, Matthew 6:20, 24b NKJV