A Prayer for Daily Grace
I’m a planner. I spent way toomuch money on my planner notebook, but I use it every day (maybe even everyhour). One of my favorite ways to plan is to look at something in the future(for example, a party or a vacation) and to work my way backwards to createsmall tasks to make sure I have everything ready for that event. I assigncertain days for grocery shopping, meal prepping, and decorating or certaindays for making an itinerary or packing. I want to make sure that I’m preparedfor when that event arrives, because one of my greatest fears is beingunprepared.
Unfortunately, that “Type A”planner mode that is useful when it comes to family reunions and birthdaycelebrations can hinder my relationship with God. Implicitly, I do not trustHim to get me where I need to go. So I try to “micromanage” God, asking forthings today that He does not plan to provide me until later.
And that is where a small storyin the Old Testament spoke a truth into my life. In Exodus 17, God miraculouslyprovides for the people of Israel by raining down bread from Heaven, “manna,”each day. While I always understood this story to be a testimony of God’sfaithfulness (which it is), it wasn’t until recently that I realized this isalso a story of the Israelites’ faith (or lack thereof).
There was a catch with manna; theycould only gather what they would eat that day. If they tried to save someovernight, the next morning it would stink and be filled with worms. Why didn’tGod provide His people with food that had a longer shelf life? It was becausehe wanted the Israelites to trust that He would provide what they needed whenthey needed it.
How does this apply to myworries about the future? My mind often drifts to the “worst-case scenarios”for difficult situations in my life. I want to prepare myself for when tragedyhits. I want to make sure that I can be in control when things go wrong. I wantto know that I can strengthen myself when hard times come.
I… I… I…
When my mind races with these horrible“what-ifs,” I am like an Israelite hoarding manna only to wake up with astinky, worm-infested heart.
When my mind races with these horrible “what-ifs,” I am like an Israelite hoarding manna only to wake up with a stinky, worm-infested heart.
And while planning in itself isnot sinful (in fact, I believe God has given me the spiritual gift of administration),when I make my plans an idol in my heart, it reveals a lack of trust in God. Idon’t trust that God will give me the grace I need to handle the future He hasplanned for me. I don’t trust that He will give me comfort if His plan is forme to lose a loved one. I don’t trust that He will give me the strength if Hisplan includes illness or injury. I don’t trust that He will sustain me if theeconomy fails.
So I try to prepare myself andcreate a “back up” plan if God falls through. But the story of manna teaches methat I do not need a backup plan. I can trust that today, God will give meexactly what I need to handle what he has planned. Tomorrow, whatever he hasplanned, he will provide the grace to accomplish his work again.
Jesus knew that this was astruggle for God’s people, that’s why he included this line in the Lord’sprayer, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). I believe this isnot just about praying for food but about showing an attitude of humblesubmission and reliance on God each and every day. We need him today; we willneed him tomorrow. There will never be a day we do not need him; and there willnever be a day where he will not provide.
There will never be a day we do not need him; and there will never be a day where he will not provide.
Later in that Matthew 6, Jesuscommands the people to not be anxious, because God knows our needs and meetsthem, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxiousfor itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34). We donot have to worry about tomorrow, because God already has prepared his provisions.
So each morning I wake up, Ican choose to worry about what may go wrong tomorrow, later this year, or infive years. I can choose to fretfully make lists or harden my heart or try tooverly discipline myself.
Or instead, I can wake upknowing that I am more valuable to God than flowers or sparrows, and he hasgiven me exactly what I need that day.
And when I wake up tomorrow,there will ample manna for me to feast.
And when I wake up tomorrow, there will ample manna for me to feast.