“‘我们日用的饮食，今日赐给我们… ’” - 太 6:11
我从小到大，每天吃过晚饭后，父母都会带领我们全家一起读每日箴言的灵修文章。我们四个孩子中的一人诵读当日经文，另外一人则诵读对应的灵修默想。所以，我认为诵读及默想经文与吃饭之间有密切的关系，毫不意外。或许你也是在饭后读这些灵修默想的，那么，你吃饱饭后的感受对你领受神话语的牧养有何影响呢？
耶稣教导衪的门徒祷告说：“我们日用的饮食，今日赐给我们。”这句话表达了几件事。我们可以放胆求神赐我们每日所需。纵使神赐给我们的不一定是我们期望的，但我们可以相信神必定会有供应。我们日用的饮食是我们的必需品，我们被鼓励天天去为这个需要祈求，因为圣经中充满了神喂养和眷顾衪子民的奇妙故事，而食物就是用来突出显明神的供应与同在的美好象征。
我们对神赐我们日用饮食的回应，往往显示出我们与神有怎样的关系。我们是否信靠神供应、还是尝试靠自己的能力来应付呢？我们又能否看见圣经中多处提到食物的经文，都往往指向神所赐给我们、以滋养我们的生命之粮 - 耶稣呢？
祷告
主啊，我们的身体和灵命，都渴慕寻求唯有你才能供应的食物。“我们日用的饮食，今日赐给我们。”奉耶稣名祈求，阿们。
马太福音 6:9-13
9“所以，你们祷告要这样说：‘我们在天上的父，愿人都尊你的名为圣，
10愿你的国降临，愿你的旨意行在地上，如同行在天上。
11我们日用的饮食，今日赐给我们。
12免我们的债，如同我们免了人的债。
13不叫我们遇见试探，救我们脱离凶恶。因为国度、权柄、荣耀，全是你的，直到永远。阿们。’
Daily Bread
"Give us today our daily bread. . . ." - Matthew 6:11
As I was growing up, my parents led our family in reading Today devotions after supper each day. One of us four kids would read the Bible passage, and another would read the meditation. It's no wonder that, for me, reading and reflecting on Scripture is strongly associated with eating bread. Maybe you also read these devotions in connection with a meal. How does your experience of eating influence your appreciation for the nourishment of God's Word?
Jesus taught his disciples to pray by saying "Give us today our daily bread." And this reveals a few things. We can boldly ask God to provide for our daily needs. And we can trust that God does provide, though not always in a way we might expect. Our daily bread is something we need, and we are encouraged to ask for it every single day. The Bible is filled with marvelous stories of how God feeds and cares for his people, showing in particular that bread is a rich symbol of God's provision and presence.
Our response to God's gift of daily bread is often an indicator of where we stand in relationship with God. Do we trust God to provide, or do we try to take things into our own hands? And can we see that the many passages about bread in the Bible somehow point to the nurturing gift of Jesus, the bread of life, who is given for us?
Prayer
Lord, we are hungry—in body and soul—for what only you can provide. "Give us today our daily bread." In Jesus' name, Amen.
