Our Daily Bread

Luke 11:3 "Give us day by day our daily bread. 4) And forgive us our sins;..."

If God were to punish us as we deserve not one of us would survive. God created Adam and Eve for life, but they chose death. (Genesis 2:16 And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17) but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof THOU SHALT SURELY DIE.)

How bizarre. Almost all creatures try to maintain their life. Just try swatting an insect...they do everything in their power to avoid the swatter. In hunting, animals flee from the hunter, and humans spend millions of dollars trying to be well, or avoid death, but Adam and Eve chose...death.

Lamentations 3:39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?

1Peter 2:20 For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted for it, ye shall take it patiently?

--Americans need to wake up. They are living like sin...and one day soon God will bring them into judgment for it.--

Ever heard statements like that? I have, and then I began to wonder...what would it take to wake my fellow citizens up? When 9-11 happened there were some in the news that dared to voice the opinion that it was a 'judgment' for our 'wickedness'. Oh, the hue and cry that went up! How dare those people say such a thing?!

I can still remember the horrible devastating pictures of the shocked survivors roaming the streets of New York, searching from hospital to hospital, shelter to shelter clutching photos of lost family members, lost loved ones. The words, "Have you seen...?" on their lips. Heart-wrenching, yes--at least for those of us on this end.

We can list disasters, both natural and man made, that have occurred through out history. Does God send 'judgments' on people? Well, God says he does, and in the scriptures He does. When a child does wrong is that child not subject to discipline? When adults commit crimes are they not subject to the law? God has given us laws to obey also--as people and as a society--when we don't obey him... why do we think we are above God's law?

Lamentations 3:40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.
Lamentations 3:41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

God is not capricious, he doesn't punish without reason. We have been blessed many times over what we deserve, and punished far less than we deserve:
James 5:13 Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise.

Isaiah 12:1 And in that day thou shalt say, I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah; for though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away and thou comfortest me.
2) Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for Jehovah, even Jehovah, is my strength and song; and he is become my salvation.
3) Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
4) And in that day shall ye say, Give thanks unto Jehovah, call upon his name, declare his doings among the peoples, make mention that his name is exalted.
5) Sing unto Jehovah; for he hath done excellent things: let this be known in all the earth.
6) Cry aloud and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion; for great in the midst of thee is the Holy One of Israel.

Let us be thankful for the blessings that we have. Let us throw ourselves on the mercy of God, and turn to him. Let us choose life--instead of death--and let us do it...today.