On Sunday (at Fahan church) we thanked God for the harvest, a service with diminishing relevance in city churches, but one still alive and important in Fahan, a rural, small, 15 family church which my wife and I worship/serve/receive teaching with.
It’s time for the Harvest Service, and people again are thankful for a year in which God has filled their bellies with good food, food, good and plentiful enough that most of the folk talk about ‘watching their weight’ thus saying that they actually have too much food in front of them.
In a country in which the Devil has so cleverly made living so comfortable, how do we as Jesus followers live out a lifestyle that is dependant, fully reliant on God.
“Give us today our daily bread”, now that’s a prayer. As it implies that those of us who ask God for a weeks groceries belong to those who have a lack of faith. Asking daily for your needs, ‘trusting in God day by day,’ as Debbie’s confused yet endearingly wise granny would often say.
This prayer for daily bread, a lot more than a realization of need (though it is that). It is a embrace of good creation and our place in it.
God gives, we receive.
It’s important we don’t forget this fact, we do not produce anything, we simple receive from a God who is consistent in His giving. Consistent on his providence of seasons, measurable and (to an extent) predictable weather, etc.
Yet.
We want to live without limits, we want to live without the ‘need’ that we so defiantly have. So we pretend to ourselves that we can control the money that comes into our bank account, that I as a farmer can control the profitability of a dairy cow. We forget the big picture that God has given it all.
Matt 5:45
He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Standing on Grace
part 2 to follow. hope it strikes a chords in you.
andy lamberton 