SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/27/2020 9:29 AM
My Worship Time Focus: The Fourth Key Element “Seekers”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matthew 6:11
Message of the
verse: “11
’Give us this day our daily bread.”
We
want to begin this SD by identifying the “us” in this verse. Jesus is speaking of those who belong to
Him. Paul states the following in 2
Corinthians 9:10-11 as he too is speaking to believers: “10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and
bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the
harvest of your righteousness; 11 you will be enriched in everything for all
liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.”
Let
us look now at Luke 18:29-30 “29 And He said to them, "Truly I say to you,
there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children,
for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times as much
at this time and in the age to come, eternal life.’” We can see in this verse that God is forever
committing Himself to care for those who are His.
John
MacArthur writes “The greatest cause of famine and its attendant diseases in
the world is not poor agricultural practices or poor economic and political
policies. Nor is the root problem lack
of scientific and technological resources or even overpopulation. These problems only aggravate the basic
problem, which is spiritual. Only some
fifteen percent of the arable land in the world is used for agriculture and
that for only half of the year. There is no major area of the
world that with proper technology is not capable of supporting its own
population and more.”
Understanding
that we have a spiritual problem in the world, according to MacArthur is what
causes issues with producing the food supply in different countries. I have a friend who is a missionary in
Bangladesh, and is from that country and he told me that if all the people in
the world lived in the state of Texas that they would have more room than those
living in Bangladesh at this time. This
statement tells me that what MacArthur is saying is true, and we should not
believe the lies of those who are talking about food shortages in that the
world cannot support such a large population.
MacArthur goes on to write “Those parts of the world that have no
Christian roots invariably place a low value on human life. The poverty in India, for example, may be
laid at the feet of Hinduism, the pagan religion that spawned a host of other
religions. According to Encyclopedia Britannica and Eerdaman’s Handbook to the World’s
Religions, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism come from Hinduism. Shintoism, Zoroastrianism, Confucianism, and
Taoism do not.”
Anyone
who has a little knowledge of Hinduism and some of these other false religions
know that they have a reason in these religions not to eat cows, and so people
starve but the cows live. Cows not only
are not to be eaten but add to the food problem by consuming twenty percent of
India’s total food supply. One thing about
situations like this one wonders how and why these types of things get
started. We know that Satan is behind
all of these false religions and we know that he has a powerful influence on
the world today as he heads up the world system. People who are in darkness cannot see this
and it is up to believers in the world to bring the light of the glorious
gospel to them in order for them to escape from these terrible situations that
they are in.
MacArthur
writes “Without a proper
view of God there cannot be a proper view of man. Those who have a right view of God and also a
right relationship to Him through Jesus Christ are promised the provisions of
their heavenly Father. ‘For this
reason,’ Jesus says, ‘I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what
you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall
put on. Is not life more than food, and
the body than clothing?...For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for
your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His
righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you’ (Matt. 6:25,
32-33).”
I
can think of times that God has provided for believers in miraculous means;
however His primary way of provision is through work, for which He has given
life, energy, resources and opportunity. One can remember what Paul wrote to the
Thessalonians who were refusing to work because they though the Lord would
return, and so Paul told them if you don’t work you cannot eat.
I
want to continue this SD by looking at the very short fifth key element which
is “The Schedule.” As we look at this
very short eleventh verse of Matthew chapter six we see the word “daily” and
this is the schedule of God’s provision for His children. What this means here is simply that on
regular, day-by-day supply of our needs.
This is what we are to rely on the Lord for, and that is one day at a
time.
I
want to remind those who are reading this that John MacArthur’s commentaries
come from the sermons that he has preached, and it was in the late 1970’s that
he was preaching through the book of Matthew and so some of the things that I
have quoted from his commentary may seem out of date for today.
My
desire is to look at Matthew 6:12 in our next SD.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I am truly thankful for how the Lord takes
care of me on a daily basis, and perhaps this is one thing in my life that I
need to express thanksgiving to the Lord in a more consistent way.
My Steps of Faith for Today: As I continue to study this wonderful prayer
that the Lord gives to us it is my desire to have what He teaches me to enhance
my prayer life. I am so thankful that it
is at this time that the Lord has brought me to the study of the book of
Matthew, and these last few weeks on this prayer.
11/27/2020 10:12 AM
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