"GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD......................." (MATTHEW 6:11)
The word “bread” is mentioned over 400 times in the bible. Scripture frequently mentions different translations of the word “bread”, often symbolizing
1.How God always supplies our needs
2.How these needs can be spiritual, physical or emotional
3.) How we can be thankful through sacrifice for all we have.
There are some great stories such as one about old/moldy bread or bread crumbs under the table that you may or may not have heard. Then there is the familiar story of the fish and loafs of bread.. Though it might be somewhat of a challenge we are going to look for bread and the symbols of bread as we read through the scriptures again in 2026 GATHER AROUND THE TABLE AND BREAK BREAD TOGETHER AS WE FEED ON THE WORD OF GOD FROM GENESIS TO REVELATIONS.
WEEK #6 - BREAD IN JOSHUA-MOLDY BREAD AND JOSHUA'S BIG MISTAKE-HASTE MAKES WASTE
WEEK #5 - BREAD IN DEUTERONOMY-GOD CARES FOR THE MARGINALIZED
“He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.”
(Deuteronomy 10:18)
In this verse God perhaps reminded the Israelites of their own past experiences of being exiles in Egypt (Genesis 15:13). He encouraged them to show love to others around them and provide basic needs to those who are vulnerable such as widows, children, and foreigners. Showing kindness to everyone especially those who are marginalized is pleasing to God. Plus, you never know if maybe you could be entertaining an angel.(Hebrews 13:2)
FOR THE KIDS
As kids move from preschool to elementary school they begin to be more and more aware of the differences from one household to the next. They might wonder why some kids have more than others or less than others. Talking about poverty and referencing those who are financial different helps develop both humility and compassion. Be prepared to talk to your children when they might ask questions like, “Why does Sally get a free lunch at school?” God provides for all but some families might need more help than others.
The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills
https://youtu.be/MDJ5VLXMg2c?si=XE7Eyf2R32ds07Yi
(Always be kind to those who are marginalized. “We are all only remnants of God’s great love and our lives are only rags which have been stitched together through love and made into something beautiful.” (Anonymous)
“He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.”
(Deuteronomy 10:18)
In this verse God perhaps reminded the Israelites of their own past experiences of being exiles in Egypt (Genesis 15:13). He encouraged them to show love to others around them and provide basic needs to those who are vulnerable such as widows, children, and foreigners. Showing kindness to everyone especially those who are marginalized is pleasing to God. Plus, you never know if maybe you could be entertaining an angel.(Hebrews 13:2)
FOR THE KIDS
As kids move from preschool to elementary school they begin to be more and more aware of the differences from one household to the next. They might wonder why some kids have more than others or less than others. Talking about poverty and referencing those who are financial different helps develop both humility and compassion. Be prepared to talk to your children when they might ask questions like, “Why does Sally get a free lunch at school?” God provides for all but some families might need more help than others.
The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills
https://youtu.be/MDJ5VLXMg2c?si=XE7Eyf2R32ds07Yi
(Always be kind to those who are marginalized. “We are all only remnants of God’s great love and our lives are only rags which have been stitched together through love and made into something beautiful.” (Anonymous)
WEEK #4 - BREAD IN NUMBERS - INGRATITUDE
“But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”
(Numbers 11:6)
God provided both manna and quail several months after the Israelites left Egypt as we learned in Exodus. He continued to provide only the manna as they wandered In the desert but a second provision of quail came about a year and a few months later. Over time they had become more and more ungrateful with just the manna. So there was a second occasion where God provided both. BUT, because their attitudes had changed now and they complained “out of greed and gluttony” rather than their immediate nutritional needs, God was displeased. He greatly increased the provisions of quail. This second time that the quail arrived with the manna, it came with the wind in vast quantities. It was so much that it piled up 3 feet deep! This resulted in a severe plague where many people died.
You can read about this in Numbers 11:31-34
"Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quail in from the sea. It scattered them up to two cubits deep all around the camp, as far as a day’s walk in any direction. All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail.".
The place was called Kibroth-hattaavah which means "Graves of Greediness".
What is your attitude toward God’s daily provision? He provides what we need but not always what we want or crave."
FOR THE KIDS:
It’s pretty common for kids to have favorite foods but encourage them not to become fussy eaters. Always graciously try at least one bite and season your words with phases like “It’s not my favorite” or a simple “No thank you.” Always be thankful even if it’s not your favorite. Remember the story of “Green Eggs and Ham”? This Dr. Seuss' book also teaches us to be open-minded and to try new things with a good and gracious attitude. Don’t be a Sam!
Our book this week is:
Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban
https://youtu.be/xWPilmZSrAY?feature=shared
(Don't be a fussy eater. Be thankful for God's provision always. He knows what we need and will always provide.
Remember those sparrows in the New Testament? (Matthew 6:26)
“But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.”
(Numbers 11:6)
God provided both manna and quail several months after the Israelites left Egypt as we learned in Exodus. He continued to provide only the manna as they wandered In the desert but a second provision of quail came about a year and a few months later. Over time they had become more and more ungrateful with just the manna. So there was a second occasion where God provided both. BUT, because their attitudes had changed now and they complained “out of greed and gluttony” rather than their immediate nutritional needs, God was displeased. He greatly increased the provisions of quail. This second time that the quail arrived with the manna, it came with the wind in vast quantities. It was so much that it piled up 3 feet deep! This resulted in a severe plague where many people died.
You can read about this in Numbers 11:31-34
"Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quail in from the sea. It scattered them up to two cubits deep all around the camp, as far as a day’s walk in any direction. All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail.".
The place was called Kibroth-hattaavah which means "Graves of Greediness".
What is your attitude toward God’s daily provision? He provides what we need but not always what we want or crave."
FOR THE KIDS:
It’s pretty common for kids to have favorite foods but encourage them not to become fussy eaters. Always graciously try at least one bite and season your words with phases like “It’s not my favorite” or a simple “No thank you.” Always be thankful even if it’s not your favorite. Remember the story of “Green Eggs and Ham”? This Dr. Seuss' book also teaches us to be open-minded and to try new things with a good and gracious attitude. Don’t be a Sam!
Our book this week is:
Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban
https://youtu.be/xWPilmZSrAY?feature=shared
(Don't be a fussy eater. Be thankful for God's provision always. He knows what we need and will always provide.
Remember those sparrows in the New Testament? (Matthew 6:26)
WEEK #3 - BREAD IN LEVITICUS - GIVING BACK
Every Sabbath day this bread must be laid out before the LORD as a gift from the Israelites; it is an ongoing expression of the eternal covenant.
(Leviticus 24:8)
Bread was used as a sacrifice by the Israelites. We usually think only of animal sacrifices in the Old Testament but bread was actually used for the “Grain and Peace Offerings.” This ritual showed the people’s gratitude to God. Not only do we need to be thankful but we should also desire to give back to God by helping others. Bread is still a central element of our worship; however, it’s not a sacrifice in the way we read about in the Old Testament but instead a remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice for us. Because of His sacrifice for our salvation, we should desire to give back. One of the first mentions of tithing in the Bible is when Abraham gave a tenth of the war under to the priest as a thank you for victory. The second mention is found in the story of Jacob when he made a special personal promise to God. This promise was made even before it became a legal requirement under the Israelites law.
FOR THE KIDS
We don’t offer sacrifices like they did in the Old Testament, but there are still many ways of expressing our gratitude for the things God blesses us with. Share with others and in so doing you are sharing with God. Give of your money, time and talents to brighten someone’s day. It’s good to teach children this truth at a very early age.
Our book this week is:
Giving to God by Sharonlily Robert
https://youtu.be/hfVuczPYuG4?si=CbAq820R6rxuWjLR
(Teach children to have a heart of gratitude, generosity, and trust in God’s provision.)
Every Sabbath day this bread must be laid out before the LORD as a gift from the Israelites; it is an ongoing expression of the eternal covenant.
(Leviticus 24:8)
Bread was used as a sacrifice by the Israelites. We usually think only of animal sacrifices in the Old Testament but bread was actually used for the “Grain and Peace Offerings.” This ritual showed the people’s gratitude to God. Not only do we need to be thankful but we should also desire to give back to God by helping others. Bread is still a central element of our worship; however, it’s not a sacrifice in the way we read about in the Old Testament but instead a remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice for us. Because of His sacrifice for our salvation, we should desire to give back. One of the first mentions of tithing in the Bible is when Abraham gave a tenth of the war under to the priest as a thank you for victory. The second mention is found in the story of Jacob when he made a special personal promise to God. This promise was made even before it became a legal requirement under the Israelites law.
FOR THE KIDS
We don’t offer sacrifices like they did in the Old Testament, but there are still many ways of expressing our gratitude for the things God blesses us with. Share with others and in so doing you are sharing with God. Give of your money, time and talents to brighten someone’s day. It’s good to teach children this truth at a very early age.
Our book this week is:
Giving to God by Sharonlily Robert
https://youtu.be/hfVuczPYuG4?si=CbAq820R6rxuWjLR
(Teach children to have a heart of gratitude, generosity, and trust in God’s provision.)
WEEK #2 - BREAD IN EXODUS - GOD PROVIDES OUR NEEDS
“Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him….”
(Exodus 16:8)
Even though Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden and forced to work for their food, we must always remember that we serve a compassionate God. His divine provision of meat and bread to the Israelites as they wandered in the desert exemplifies His faithfulness. God desired that through this experience, they would come to fully rely on Him. The manna first began to appear one to two months after they left Egypt, as their food supplies began to give out. The word “manna” is translated “What is it?” which is what the people first said when they saw it. It is described as “a bread-like substance resembling sweet bread” or “a fine, white, flaky substance, like frost on the ground, that tasted like wafers with honey .”
FOR THE KIDS
Explain to the children that God always provides our needs. Often we might hear about some children who wonder where their next meal is coming from. Schools often provide these children free lunches at school but what happens to them on the weekend? Pray for those who struggle with nutritional needs.Teach children to be thankful for their abundance of food, thank the parents and farmers who provide, and all those who harvest and prepare. God is faithful to provide.
Our book this week is:
What is it? The Story of Manna in the Desert by Patricia L. Nederveld
https://youtu.be/y-1l3OfaMBw?si=mGVXYnuiHJwKMvMX
(Short story and a simple message-God provides what we need on a daily basis.)
“Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him….”
(Exodus 16:8)
Even though Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden and forced to work for their food, we must always remember that we serve a compassionate God. His divine provision of meat and bread to the Israelites as they wandered in the desert exemplifies His faithfulness. God desired that through this experience, they would come to fully rely on Him. The manna first began to appear one to two months after they left Egypt, as their food supplies began to give out. The word “manna” is translated “What is it?” which is what the people first said when they saw it. It is described as “a bread-like substance resembling sweet bread” or “a fine, white, flaky substance, like frost on the ground, that tasted like wafers with honey .”
FOR THE KIDS
Explain to the children that God always provides our needs. Often we might hear about some children who wonder where their next meal is coming from. Schools often provide these children free lunches at school but what happens to them on the weekend? Pray for those who struggle with nutritional needs.Teach children to be thankful for their abundance of food, thank the parents and farmers who provide, and all those who harvest and prepare. God is faithful to provide.
Our book this week is:
What is it? The Story of Manna in the Desert by Patricia L. Nederveld
https://youtu.be/y-1l3OfaMBw?si=mGVXYnuiHJwKMvMX
(Short story and a simple message-God provides what we need on a daily basis.)
WEEK #1 - BREAD IN GENESIS - WORKING FOR FOOD
“In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat BREAD til thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
(Genesis 3:19)
After disobeying God, Adam and Eve faced consequences for their sin. One of these was the fact that they would have to work and toil the ground in order to eat. They would eat bread only by the sweat of their brow. It was a laborious progress that would involve planting, harvesting and grinding wheat. Up until their expulsion from the garden they only ate from the trees in the Garden of Eden. Some Jewish interpretations claim there were bread trees in the Garden of Eden and all they had to do was pick bread from a tree. This debunked theory claims the wheat tree was demoted from a tree to a lowly grass when Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden. Even though the Bible does not support this claim, it is a fun fictional tale.
FOR THE KIDS
Children often take food for granted. Just like Adam and Eve in the garden, eating requires little effort on their part. Remind children that food doesn’t magically grow in grocery stores. It comes from the hard work of farmers and those who harvest and prepare it. Growing a garden is hard work and not always easy but there are many lessons to be learned. Heathy food comes from having a garden. Be careful what you eat and stay healthy. Just like Adam and Eve, we often crave things that are not healthy choices.
Our book this week is:
Adam and Eve. By Dinesh Deckker and Subhashini Sumanaserara
https://youtu.be/JIvUX-jtCL4?si=FR9evHd2brfurUlG
(Actions have consequences but God never stops loving us.)
“In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat BREAD til thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”
(Genesis 3:19)
After disobeying God, Adam and Eve faced consequences for their sin. One of these was the fact that they would have to work and toil the ground in order to eat. They would eat bread only by the sweat of their brow. It was a laborious progress that would involve planting, harvesting and grinding wheat. Up until their expulsion from the garden they only ate from the trees in the Garden of Eden. Some Jewish interpretations claim there were bread trees in the Garden of Eden and all they had to do was pick bread from a tree. This debunked theory claims the wheat tree was demoted from a tree to a lowly grass when Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden. Even though the Bible does not support this claim, it is a fun fictional tale.
FOR THE KIDS
Children often take food for granted. Just like Adam and Eve in the garden, eating requires little effort on their part. Remind children that food doesn’t magically grow in grocery stores. It comes from the hard work of farmers and those who harvest and prepare it. Growing a garden is hard work and not always easy but there are many lessons to be learned. Heathy food comes from having a garden. Be careful what you eat and stay healthy. Just like Adam and Eve, we often crave things that are not healthy choices.
Our book this week is:
Adam and Eve. By Dinesh Deckker and Subhashini Sumanaserara
https://youtu.be/JIvUX-jtCL4?si=FR9evHd2brfurUlG
(Actions have consequences but God never stops loving us.)