August 10

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33.

"All these things"—what things? Our daily bread; for bread is a term of wide meaning. Luther explains it thus: "Everything that belongs to the support and wants of the body, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, fields, cattle, money, goods, a pious spouse, pious children, pious servants, pious and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, discipline, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like." For all this, just as every one needs it for his daily life, the Lord Jesus teaches us to pray in the words of the Fourth Petition: "Give us this day our daily bread." We are to include in the term bread all the necessaries of life.

We pray for daily bread because to have what we need each day should be sufficient unto us. We should not pray for riches and more than we need, knowing that godliness with contentment is great gain. Be satisfied with the portion allotted to you. It is sufficient to have what you need each day. If God, however, does give you more than you need, remember Psalms 62:10: "If riches increase, set not your heart upon them."

We should pray: "Give us this day our daily bread." We should not covet any bread which is not our rightful bread, which God has not given to us. As long as we can, we should, each in his own vocation, earn our bread by the labor of our hands and not eat other people's bread. Christ teaches us to pray for our own bread. Paul admonishes the Thessalonians to work, saying: "If any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ that with quietness they work and eat their own bread." Sweet is the bread of honest independence. We therefore ask for willingness, wisdom, and strength to toil, as also for the God-given fruit of our labor. And when God gives us more than we need, "is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry," the needy?

Prayer.

Almighty God, whose are all things in heaven and earth, who hast made all and dost preserve all, we thank Thee for giving us life and health and all that belongs to the support and wants of

the body. Give us daily the bread we need, and having food and raiment, let us be therewith content and let us prudently husband our store that we may employ it in Thy fear and to Thy glory in furthering Thy kingdom and relieving our neighbor's want. And as Thou dost sustain our bodily life, may our souls daily be fed with the manna of Thy holy Word, until Thou wilt make us to sit at Thy heavenly table, for the sake of Thy dear Son Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Through each perplexing path of life Our wandering footsteps guide. Give us each day our daily bread And raiment fit provide.