Provision for the Mission

Introduction

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
And forgive our debts as we forgive our debtors
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one
For Yours is the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory forever.
Amen. Matthew 6:9–13

Understanding Matthew 6:11 in its kingdom context opens our eyes to see that it is so much more than just about fulfilling needs. When we align with God’s kingdom and are about our kingdom assignments, the King promises to release provision for the mission (Matthew 10:10, Luke 10:7). In this teaching, the verse is unpacked word by word to uncover precious lessons about reliance and gratitude, relationship and trust, contentment and simplicity, and stewardship and generosity.

Give: Reliance and Gratitude

The word “Give” reveals a heart of reliance and gratitude, not an entitlement mentality. If we acknowledge that all things we have come from God, this guards us against pride and self-sufficiency, and it will result in a grateful and thankful heart. This posture of our heart is what we want God to give us (1 Thessalonians 5:18), for we are all prone to thinking, after a while, that it is our own hard work and ability that have gotten us the success, well-being, etc. This was what Moses reminded the Israelites before they entered the land (Deuteronomy 8:17).

This Day and Daily

Next, the words “this day” and “daily” refer to God’s provision on a daily basis and we examine an example of this in the ‘kingdom training in the wilderness’ in Exodus 16.  The people complained against Moses and God in the wilderness and God rained bread from heaven in the morning, enough for one day and twice as much over Sabbath (Exodus 16:4-5,18). This provision was also a test of obedience (Exodus 16:4), a question of reliance, trust, and security. God gives us what we need (our daily bread) to reveal what is really in our hearts. Are we willing to depend on God on a daily basis? Do we find security in God or in the things we have? Do we walk by faith or by sight? At the same time, it also reveals a relationship and constant communication with God. Are we asking and coming to God daily instead of monthly, yearly or only in a crisis? It is about taking one day at a time, trusting and relying on God daily; that we may trust in God’s word and faithfulness more than in the bread or provision that He supplies (Deuteronomy 8:3). The Israelites spent forty years in the wilderness, with God teaching them one day at a time until their trust in God was like second nature to them. Through this, they were prepared for their kingdom assignments when they crossed over into the land they were to inherit. Unfortunately, the Israelites enjoyed the abundance of provisions but forgot their kingdom assignments. They served Baal, idols, and themselves instead of God.

Finally, when you serve God, do you have a contractual or covenantal mentality? (Matthew 20:1-16) A contract is based on terms while a covenant also has terms but it is a relationship based on trust. When we work with God, we are not His contract workers but His children. He knows exactly what we need and what is best for us. When we know that He loves us, that He is our heavenly Father and is gracious and generous; we trust Him and will pray boldly for our daily provision. As we go about our assignment, we trust Him for the provision.

Bread: Contentment and Simplicity

The next word “bread” is about simplicity and contentment. Jesus did not ask us to pray “give us this day our daily bonus.” Bonuses are not given on a daily basis and not an entitlement but a privilege/reward over and above what is expected. Our God knows how to give bonuses. We have to leave Him to decide when and how much. We should see it as receiving gifts from our Father and not take them for granted. Otherwise, when we do not receive any, we will be upset and disappointed. For example, for the Israelites, God gave manna daily but not quails. We need to be thankful for our quails (Exodus 16:13) and beware of our complaints, covetousness, and cravings (Numbers 11); for quails brought leanness in their souls and only the bread of heaven satisfies (Psalms 105:40,106:15, John 6).

We also tend to look at what we do not have rather than what we have. Why are we covetous and never content? It is because our sufficiency/satisfaction is not in God or Christ, that we look at other things for satisfaction. If we, instead, focus on aligning ourselves with the Lord so that we can become godly in our thinking, understanding and perspectives, then contentment will flow out of that and it will be a great gain (1 Timothy 6:6).

Us and Our: Stewardship and Generosity

Finally, we look at the words “us” and “our”. It is not “give me this day my daily bread”, but “us” and “our”. These words indicate to us kingdom community and an expectation of stewardship, generosity in the community and amongst the people of God.  If we miss this, we are missing the heartbeat of God. There is an uneven distribution of wealth in the world and even in the church (locally, nationally, regionally, or globally). However, in the plan and economy of God’s kingdom, everyone will have enough (2 Corinthians 8:13-15, Exodus 16:16-18).

As we receive our provisions, blessings, or bonuses, what do we do with them? ‘Pro-vision’ means to see ahead i.e., God has seen an upcoming need. Would you allow God to use you as a channel of His kingdom’s promise and blessing and invest it into kingdom work and purpose? It is not wrong to be rich but it is wrong to only spend your riches on yourself and neglect or despise the poor and needy (Timothy 6:17-19). Do you have the heart of God who always looks out for the poor and needy?

Conclusion

In conclusion, let us look at Matthew 6:11 in the context of a larger picture. It is not just about us. We need to anchor in our hearts that we have a loving Father and a great God who loves us and provides for us. He invites us to participate in assignments with Him because there are others who need to know that He is a great God. Therefore, as we pray, it is alright to ask God to give but have the right perspective and be faithful in our assignment. We need to focus on the assignment and trust that God is faithful to provide as we are bondservants of Christ and have a great Master (Matthew 10:10, Luke 10:7). We need to check our posture of asking that we claim nothing but He gives everything. Next, we need to trust God day by day. We should be content and live simply, to live in the ‘now’ and not hoard. For God knows our every need even before we ask. As we focus on the kingdom, God will take care of the rest. Finally, we need to understand that it is about stewardship. If you know how to use the resources that God gives to you, He will give you more as He trusts you.  God knows how to bless us and it is by His grace and not our entitlement. Let’s be a kingdom channel to be a blessing to others.