Matthew 6:11 – Give us today our daily bread.
In the Old Testament, the priests were required to bake fresh showbread every day. The showbread spoke of His Presence. God’s presence was made flesh in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Bread that came down from Heaven. Jesus said to the multitudes, “I am the Bread of life; he who comes to Me will never hunger” (John 6:35). Eating of this Bread fills us up, eating of this Bread satisfies, eating of this Bread will sustain us when everything else seems to be lacking.
The Holy Spirit of God has come as the comforter. He is the one who indwells us. He is the spirit of the Father and of the Son. He is the one who supplies us with the spiritual food necessary for our daily existence. He is the promised “daily bread.” He feeds us with God’s Word, He releases God’s gifts through us for others, and He builds up our inner man so we might mature in the Lord. Whenever I turn to the Holy Spirit, He brings refreshment which cannot be compared to anything else in this world. The Psalmist expresses it like this, “Because Thy loving-kindness is better than life, my lips will praise Thee. So I will bless Thee as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Thy name. My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips” (Psalm 63:3-5).
Allow the Comforter to have His full way in your life today. He has Bread for you right now that will nourish and sustain you. Every day, turn to Him and say, “Give me this day the Bread you have for my life. I ask for my spirit, soul, and body to feed daily upon the presence of Your life.
Father, You are my resting place. I feed at Your table and drink from Your cup. I want to thank You for being my source and supply. It is You that sustains me.
March 12 – FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS
Matthew 6:12 – Forgive us our debts.
We are born as debtors. This view is an offense to many who refuse to accept their fallen condition before God. As an infant we are innocent, but it is an innocence that comes from a lack of knowledge. As we develop, we become aware of our guilt before the Creator. The beginning point for our relationship with the Father is when we accept our condition and ask for His forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
When we are born again through the work of God’s Holy Spirit, our sins are forgiven and removed. The Scriptures tell us that He removes our sins “as far as the East is from the West” (Psalm 103:12). We still have to deal with the challenge of sin which is in our members. Study Romans 5 for a more complete understanding of this truth. With the Father’s forgiveness, we receive a responsibility and obligation to forgive the debt of others. We remain debtors made free by the blood of Christ. We are humbled by the fact that the Father loved us in spite of the enmity that existed between Him and mankind. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are delighted to have been given power to forgive others their debt toward us.
For the individual who is living their life by the leading of the Spirit, unforgiveness ceases to be a problem. Forgiveness of others is at the core of the foundation we have in the cleansing of the blood of Christ. Because He has forgiven us, we must forgive others! The Scriptures are emphatic about this topic. When we fail to forgive as we have been forgiven, a door is opened for the enemy to attack us. Jesus’ cleansing blood is our defense against the devil, but this fact is rooted in our willingness to forgive. Study Matthew 18 for a larger understanding of the importance of forgiveness.
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you areas in your life where you have not yet surrendered to God’s rule. Ask forgiveness and commit all He shows you to His authority. Ask Him to show you anyone that you need to forgive. Pray for His power to live a life that is above reproach for His glory.