Trusting God for Daily Needs and Rest

 

Summary

In today's gathering, we reflected on the profound significance of trusting God with our daily needs, as illustrated in the Lord's Prayer, specifically the phrase, "Give us this day our daily bread." This prayer is not just a request for physical sustenance but a call to trust God for our daily provisions and to live in the present, relying on His faithfulness. We explored the story of the Israelites in the desert, who were taught to depend on God for their daily manna, learning to trust Him one day at a time. This narrative serves as a powerful reminder that God knows our needs and provides for them, even when we might not fully understand or recognize them.

We also delved into the concept of Sabbath, a day of rest that God instituted for our benefit. Despite our modern inclination to fill every moment with productivity, the Sabbath invites us to pause, rest, and remember God's provision and care. It challenges us to trust that God will meet our needs even when we are not actively working to meet them ourselves.

Furthermore, we discussed the anxieties and fears that often plague us, from worries about the future to concerns about our past decisions. These fears can paralyze us, much like the physical paralysis I experienced during moments of intense anxiety. Yet, the call to trust God with our daily bread is a call to release these fears and trust in His provision and care.

Finally, we celebrated the sacrament of baptism, a powerful symbol of new life in Christ. Baptism represents a public declaration of faith and a commitment to follow Jesus, acknowledging the transformative work of God in our lives. As we witnessed the baptisms today, we were reminded of the miraculous ways God works in our lives, bringing us from death to life and providing for our deepest needs.

Key Takeaways:

- Trusting God for our daily needs is a profound act of faith. The Lord's Prayer teaches us to rely on God for our daily sustenance, reminding us that He knows our needs and will provide for them. This trust requires us to live in the present, focusing on today's needs rather than being consumed by worries about the future. [39:01]

- The story of the Israelites in the desert illustrates the importance of daily dependence on God. By providing manna each day, God taught His people to trust Him for their daily bread, reinforcing the lesson that He is faithful and will meet our needs. This narrative encourages us to trust God one day at a time, knowing that He will provide. [43:11]

- The Sabbath is a gift from God, inviting us to rest and remember His provision. In a world that values productivity, the Sabbath challenges us to pause and trust that God will meet our needs even when we are not actively working. It is a reminder that our worth is not tied to our productivity but to our identity as beloved children of God. [45:48]

- Anxiety and fear can paralyze us, but trusting God with our daily bread invites us to release these fears. By focusing on God's provision for today, we can let go of worries about the future and trust that He will care for us. This trust is a daily practice, requiring us to continually surrender our fears to God. [33:33]

- Baptism is a powerful symbol of new life in Christ, representing a public declaration of faith and a commitment to follow Jesus. It reminds us of the transformative work of God in our lives, bringing us from death to life and providing for our deepest needs. As we witness baptisms, we celebrate the miraculous ways God works in our lives. [01:07:14]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[09:24] - Opening Prayer
[27:24] - Personal Story of Anxiety
[30:53] - Seeking Help and Understanding
[33:33] - Common Fears and Anxieties
[35:07] - Trusting God with Our Needs
[39:01] - The Lord's Prayer: Daily Bread
[40:38] - Trusting God for Today
[43:11] - Lessons from the Israelites
[44:23] - The Gift of Sabbath
[45:48] - Embracing Rest
[47:46] - God's Provision and Our Trust
[50:54] - Luke 12: Do Not Worry
[52:23] - Seeking First God's Kingdom
[56:00] - Communion and Baptism Celebration

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 6:9-13 (The Lord's Prayer)
2. Exodus 16:4-5 (God provides manna for the Israelites)
3. Luke 12:22-31 (Do not worry)

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Observation Questions:

1. In the sermon, what was the significance of the phrase "Give us this day our daily bread" from the Lord's Prayer? [39:01]

2. How did the Israelites' experience in the desert illustrate the concept of daily dependence on God? [43:11]

3. What role does the Sabbath play in reminding us of God's provision, according to the sermon? [45:48]

4. How did the pastor describe his personal experience with anxiety, and what lesson did he draw from it about trusting God? [33:33]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the request for "daily bread" in the Lord's Prayer challenge modern tendencies to plan and worry about the future? [39:01]

2. What spiritual lessons can be drawn from the Israelites' reliance on manna, and how does this relate to trusting God in our daily lives? [43:11]

3. In what ways does observing the Sabbath serve as a counter-cultural practice in today's productivity-driven society? [45:48]

4. How does the pastor's story of anxiety illustrate the broader human struggle with fear and the need for trust in God's provision? [33:33]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where you struggle to trust God for your "daily bread"? How can you practice trusting Him more in those areas? [39:01]

2. The Israelites had to trust God daily for manna. What is one practical step you can take this week to rely more on God for your daily needs? [43:11]

3. How can you incorporate a Sabbath rest into your weekly routine, and what might you need to change to make this a reality? [45:48]

4. Consider a specific fear or anxiety you currently face. How can you apply the sermon’s message of trusting God to help release that fear? [33:33]

5. Baptism was highlighted as a symbol of new life in Christ. If you have been baptized, how does this commitment influence your daily life? If not, what does baptism mean to you? [01:07:14]

6. The sermon mentioned the importance of living in the present. What is one distraction or worry about the future that you can consciously set aside this week to focus on the present? [39:01]

7. How can you remind yourself of God's provision and care when you feel overwhelmed by life's demands? Consider creating a tangible reminder, like a note or a symbol, to keep with you. [45:48]

Devotional

Day 1: Trusting God for Daily Provision
Trusting God for our daily needs is a profound act of faith. The Lord's Prayer teaches us to rely on God for our daily sustenance, reminding us that He knows our needs and will provide for them. This trust requires us to live in the present, focusing on today's needs rather than being consumed by worries about the future. [39:01]

Matthew 6:31-34 (ESV): "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Reflection: What is one specific need you have today that you can trust God to provide for, instead of worrying about it?


Day 2: Daily Dependence on God
The story of the Israelites in the desert illustrates the importance of daily dependence on God. By providing manna each day, God taught His people to trust Him for their daily bread, reinforcing the lesson that He is faithful and will meet our needs. This narrative encourages us to trust God one day at a time, knowing that He will provide. [43:11]

Exodus 16:4-5 (ESV): "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.'"

Reflection: How can you practice trusting God for your needs today, just as the Israelites had to trust Him for manna in the desert?


Day 3: Embracing the Gift of Sabbath
The Sabbath is a gift from God, inviting us to rest and remember His provision. In a world that values productivity, the Sabbath challenges us to pause and trust that God will meet our needs even when we are not actively working. It is a reminder that our worth is not tied to our productivity but to our identity as beloved children of God. [45:48]

Hebrews 4:9-10 (ESV): "So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his."

Reflection: What is one way you can intentionally rest this week, trusting that God will provide for your needs even when you are not working?


Day 4: Releasing Anxiety Through Trust
Anxiety and fear can paralyze us, but trusting God with our daily bread invites us to release these fears. By focusing on God's provision for today, we can let go of worries about the future and trust that He will care for us. This trust is a daily practice, requiring us to continually surrender our fears to God. [33:33]

1 Peter 5:7 (ESV): "Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."

Reflection: Identify one fear or anxiety you are holding onto. How can you surrender this to God today and trust in His provision?


Day 5: Baptism and New Life in Christ
Baptism is a powerful symbol of new life in Christ, representing a public declaration of faith and a commitment to follow Jesus. It reminds us of the transformative work of God in our lives, bringing us from death to life and providing for our deepest needs. As we witness baptisms, we celebrate the miraculous ways God works in our lives. [01:07:14]

Romans 6:4 (ESV): "We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."

Reflection: Reflect on your own journey of faith. How has God transformed your life, and how can you continue to walk in the newness of life He has given you?

Quotes


And while most of us here, I would hope, for your sake, don't freeze up in the way I do. If you do, I'm so sorry. It stinks. It's terrible. But most of you have experienced something similar, right? Like a worry about the future, a fear about the future. What am I going to do? What am I doing? Did I do well? [00:33:33]

And as we're looking at the Lord's Prayer, it's in Matthew chapter 6. We won't have it on the screen, but you've got phones. You've got Bibles. Matthew chapter 6. Jesus is talking about a whole entire sermon. I don't remember the verse numbers. 34? Look it up. Someone shout it out when you know. Matthew chapter 6. Jesus is talking about prayer. [00:38:57]

But asking for things is good. But give us this day our daily bread is a very specific kind of ask. It's asking that our needs today are met. Give us this day our daily bread. This, now, day, our daily bread. And daily bread, very specifically, a need. Food, water, shelter. The needs. [00:40:20]

The people are relying on God to take care of them. You can't really grow crops at the time. You can, but you always know that that pillar of fire they're following, that could move. God could lead them somewhere else at any given time. Any night, God could say, all right, we're moving now. [00:41:48]

God said, collect what you need for the day. And they learned to trust every single day that there would be food for them. Can you imagine being like, man, if God doesn't come through tomorrow, we have nothing. Why is God telling us don't collect more? I think there's a spiritual aspect to that. [00:43:30]

Give us this day our daily bread. God is teaching us to trust, and then to trust tomorrow, and then to trust tomorrow, and then to trust the next day. God will come through with what we need. God also, in that daily bread that the people are trusting for in the book of Exodus, God gives them something else they need that they probably didn't think they needed. [00:44:09]

Sabbath is made for us to help us, to give us what we need and to take a day of rest feels useless because we live in a world where we feel we need to use our time. And if we don't use our time, we feel guilty about it. And you know how I know we feel guilty about it? Cause if someone says, what did you do today? [00:46:17]

God knows what we need. And it doesn't always make sense to us. Sabbath is a useless day. Sabbath is a day Abraham Heschel says it's inefficient. It has no point besides itself. Sabbath is a useless day. And God knew that we needed it. God provided for the needs of the people. He gave them their daily bread. [00:47:02]

And he also gave them the next day bread once a week, because he knew that they needed something else. God provides for our needs. God gives us what we need and give us this day. Our daily bread is an invite to trust the God that knows. This is the God that knows we need something that we may not think we need. [00:47:42]

And so he gifts you that God knows our needs. God knows that we need rest and God knows that we need our daily bread and to pray, give us this day. Our daily bread is to recognize that God is with us. The God that knows what we need. As we go back to our worries in life, the worries that we have, the fears that we have, the things that concern us, the fears of the future, to pray, give us this day our daily bread, is to be reminded God's here. [00:49:55]

In Luke chapter 12 it says, He, Jesus, said to his disciples, Therefore I tell you, You do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body. What you will wear for life is more than food and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens. They neither sow nor reap. They have neither storehouse nor barn. And yet God feeds them. [00:51:04]

I've said for a few years now that Northwest Bible not only saves other people, but in some ways they saved my faith. Seeing God change folks. And bring folks from the brink to him and to new life entirely is something that I can't let go of. And I think that's true of a lot of you as well. And so as we celebrate this new life, may we recognize the God that works absolute miracles. [01:07:49]

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Transcript
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