Familiarity dulls the imagination, and perhaps the appetite.
I was reading some thoughts on ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ recently and was intrigued to learn that the familiar phrase ‘our daily bread’ does not necessarily mean what I had always assumed. Apparently, the word used is uncommon, and while it can certainly be understood as ‘give us the food we need for today’ it actually carries the more tantalising idea of ‘give us the bread of the day to come’ – ‘the bread of tomorrow’ – directing our imagination (and our aching prayers) to the coming age.
I long to experience a greater foretaste of that day.
For his anticipated presence to saturate my days here and now;
For his resurrection fragrance to infuse my life in the present;
For the wisdom yet to be revealed to season my words today;
For me to taste the powers of the age to come in my daily routines;
And for something of the glory of that day to bleed into this day.
Father, I sometimes feel malnourished.
Feed me with this ‘bread of the coming day’ to satisfy my deep hunger.
And to stimulate the appetite of those around.
