Verse for the week: “Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the
Lord his God.” Psalm 146.5
Bible reading for the day: I Kings 17.8-16 (note: From 1000 B.C. on, our forebears in the faith gradually placed more and more trust in themselves and in the false gods of the people around them. They “filled their jars” from the wrong source. This desperate widow personifies the rebellious nation of Israel.)
8 Then the word of the Lord came
to him, 9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell
there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10 So he
arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold,
a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, “Bring me a
little water in a vessel, that I may drink.” 11 And as she was going
to bring it, he called to her and said, “Bring me a morsel of bread in your
hand.” 12 And she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have nothing
baked, only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. And now I am
gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my
son, that we may eat it and die.” 13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not
fear; go and do as you have said. But first make me a little cake of it and
bring it to me, and afterward make something for yourself and your son. 14
For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘The jar of flour shall not be
spent, and the jug of oil shall not be empty, until the day that the Lord sends
rain upon the earth.’” 15 And she went and did as Elijah said. And
she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The jar of flour
was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word
of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah.
Prayer (based on
T.R.I.P. method**): Gracious and almighty Father, thank you: your
promise and provision are enough for us. Repent me and your church of putting
our trust in any other… for when we do we only starve ourselves and our
families. Each day, let it be with us according to your word, not ours. I ask this in Jesus’ name, amen.
Hymn: follow this
link to a beloved classic that gives further voice to today’s conversation with
the Lord: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26rq0spuLao
“Give us this day our daily bread…”
What does this
mean?
God indeed gives daily bread to all sinners, even without
our prayer, but we pray in this petition that he would help us to recognize
this so that we would receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.
What is meant by daily bread?
Daily bread includes everything required to meet our earthly
needs, such as food, drink, clothing, home, property, employment, necessities,
devout parents, children, and communities, honest and faithful authorities,
good government, seasonable weather, peace, health, an orderly society, a good
reputation, true friends and neighbors, and the like. (from The Small
Catechism, by Martin Luther ©Reclaim Resources, Sola Publishing, 2011)
Benediction: The
peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. Phil 4.7
*There are many patterns for devotions. This pattern has been followed by God’s
people for centuries.
**The T.R.I.P. approach to
prayer is based on the way Martin Luther prayed and taught others to pray. It was later developed by Walter and Ingrid
Trobisch and then adapted by Mount Carmel Ministries (Alexandria , MN
R:
regret (repentance)
I:
intercession (asking God to take a specific action)
P:
plan or purpose
Reading a biblical text and
then applying this method gives one a sound, simple way to form one’s
prayers...not to mention that it helps one learn how to faithfully reflect on
God’s Word and talk to God.
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