Daily Bread March 18

Receive Enough, Part 3
Phyllis Gregg of Raymore, MO USA


For he satisfies the thirsty, and the hungry he fills with good things. -Psalm 107:9

Every year I plant a garden. The first time I looked at the barren spot that would be my garden, I wondered if anything would really come from it. Even after planting the seeds and seedlings, it still looked so desolate…a few little green sprouts and a couple stakes marking where seeds were in the ground. Many times I’ve been tempted to plant more, just because it looked so empty. But I’ve found when I overplant, I can’t use what grows fast enough and things spoil. So I’ve learned to be patient…to wait…knowing there will be enough and even some to spare.

When God led the Israelites into the desert, they were scared they would not have enough. How could this wilderness possibly provide what they needed to survive? So God provided manna. God told them each day the manna would fall and they were only to collect what they needed for the day not attempting to hoard it. Whenever they collected more than they needed, it spoiled.

The Israelites had to rely on God every day. Despite the fact that they sometimes complained and didn’t follow God’s plan, the manna kept showing up. Every day, for decades, God demonstrated no-strings-attached generosity.

Lenten Reflection Questions:

  • How do you live in the tension between enough and too much?
  • When have you received enough even in sparse or challenging conditions?
  • How have you experienced no-strings-attached generosity?

Prayer Phrase

Are we moving toward Jesus, the peaceful One?

Lenten Spiritual Practices

Moving Toward the Peaceful One

As Jesus was nearing the final days of his life, he wept over the city and proclaimed, “If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace” (Luke 19:41-42).What are the things that make for peace in our lives, communities, and around the world? During the Lenten season, spend time in silent refection or journaling each day to notice: Am I moving toward Jesus, the peaceful One? Pay attention to your attitudes, actions, and relationships this day. When did you most embody the peaceful One in your daily living? When were your thoughts or actions contrary to the peace of Jesus Christ? How might Jesus, the peaceful One, who is always near to you, be inviting you to draw nearer to him through your daily living?

Fasting and Giving-$40 in 40 Days

A Lenten fast gives us an opportunity to make space in our lives so that God can live in and through us.  It’s a time to evaluate what we hunger for most and what we consume. This year, we’ve been invited to tithe as a spiritual practice by setting aside $40 during the 40 days of Lent. If you are participating, pay attention today to the dollar you have given. What might you have done with that dollar otherwise? How does Lenten generosity invite you to reflect on what is “enough” in your life? Who might you invite to join you in this practice? How might your gift be magnified by the many others responding to the same call?

You can make your $40 offering anytime during the Lenten season online or through your offering envelope for Worldwide Mission Tithes.

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

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