Our Daily Bread

The Fourth Petition.

Give us this day our daily bread.

What does this mean?--Answer.
God gives daily bread, even without our prayer, to all wicked men; but we pray in this petition that He would lead us to know it, and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.
What is meant by daily bread?--Answer.
Everything that belongs to the support and wants of the body, such as meat, drink, clothing, shoes, house, homestead, field, cattle, money, goods, a pious spouse, pious children, pious servants, pious and faithful magistrates, good government, good weather, peace, health, discipline, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.

(http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php)

 

The Lord provides. Lately, my granddaughter has been asking me if I am praying again. Yes, I do a lot of praying and no it doesn't matter to me if it's a public place. When she sees my head bowed it is an indicator not to interrupt my moment with God, unless it's an emergency. Mostly, during the day light hours, my prayers are prayers of thanksgiving. I could find a lot of things to grumble about if I let myself and sometimes I do. But, mostly I see the good things that He provides us with. I also see the opportunities He has given us who have been so blessed to feed His sheep their daily bread as well. Throughout the day, I find multitudes of opportunities to give thanks to God.

 

The Lord provides. Most often He provides our needs through others in whom He abides and through whom He continues to serve. 

 

The Lord provides. Give thanks to the Lord for providing you with your daily bread. Give thanks to the Lord that He has provided you with opportunities to provide food to those who are hungry.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

 

Honor Your Father and Mother

The Fourth Commandment.

Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother [that it may be well with thee and thou mayest live long upon the earth].

What does this mean?--Answer.
We should fear and love God that we may not despise nor anger our parents and masters, but give them honor, serve, obey, and hold them in love and esteem.

(http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php)

 

In this fourth commandment we are told that we are to honor those who have authority over us so that it may be well with us and that we might live long upon the earth.  Think about the chaos in so many homes and our school systems because many young people; rather than honor their parents or teachers, are allowed (and sometimes encouraged by other people in authority) to be outright disrespectful; defiantly rejecting all authority. How much learning can be done in this kind of environment? How many children are being taught to disrespect and connive against our police officers who have sworn to protect us? It makes it very difficult to serve and protect or teach anyone when one is being cursed at or emotionally or even physically attacked.

 

God has given each of us people in our lives who are meant to teach and guide us; to care for us. Parents, police officers, teachers, doctors, employers are just a few examples of such people today. Sadly, not all of them have our best interests at heart. There are those who think that everything should be done for their glory to the detriment even of their children and those who might work for them.  Martin Luther reminds us, in the Large Catechism, that even though the Commandments do not speak directly to the duties of those in authority; scripture reminds us all that we are to love and care for one another. This applies to parents as well as others who might have the duties to teach or care for or protect us. If we teach our children that it is all right to disrespect others; they may also learn to disrespect us.

 

We should honor all in positions of authority and those in authority would be wise to guide those who they have authority over; to teach them the ways of the Lord. If honor, respect, and even integrity could make a come-back; then we would all live long and peacefully upon the earth.

 

Pr. J

 

P.S. I confess that while writing this blog this morning, I have been biased by knowing too many   parents who encourage their children to be blatantly disrespectful toward others and who also encourage their children to use alcohol and other drugs as well as to promiscuity.