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The Heidelberg Catechism for Children (50)

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The Heidelberg Catechism for Children (50)

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This Lord’s Day speaks about the fourth petition.

Question 125: Which is the fourth petition?

Answer:“Give us this day our daily bread”; that is, be pleased to provide us with all things necessary for the body, that we may thereby acknowledge Thee to be the only fountain of all good, and that neither our care nor industry, nor even Thy gifts, can profit us without Thy blessing; and therefore that we may withdraw our trust from all creatures and place it alone in Thee.

What is meant by daily bread? It means everything that our bodies need every day, especially food and drink. However, daily bread also includes other things such as clothing, shoes, and a house in which to live. We call all these things necessities for our bodies, for we cannot do without them. In this petition we are asking the Lord to give us these things today. Indeed, if we may still be living tomorrow, we may pray for them tomorrow. The Lord desires that we ask for these things every day.

We do not pray, “Give me,” but “Give us,” for everyone has this same need. Should we be thinking only of ourselves? There are many people who do not have enough to eat. Indeed, there are those who even die of hunger. The Lord desires that we think also of those people. Often we are asked to provide financial help so that food and other necessities can be purchased for them.

Before we begin eating, we pray to the Lord for His blessing upon the food. Why is this prayer necessary? We need food in order to live and remain healthy, but if the Lord does not bless the food, all our food will not help us; therefore, we first ask for His blessing. We also thank Him after we eat, for the Lord desires that we acknowledge Him for everything that He gives us. Is it not He from whom all comes to us? Does not the Lord permit things to grow? He causes the sun to shine and the clouds to bring rain. He gives us health and life. We say that it is the Lord who is the fountain of all the good that we receive.

Let us, therefore, never forget to pray and to acknowledge the Lord. We are dependent upon Him in all things. If the Lord does not provide, we have nothing. Of course, we are to work for all that we need. We do not have crops unless the ground is plowed, seeded, and harvested, and we can only buy bread if we have money to pay for it. This money we earn by working. Thus the Lord wants us to be diligently busy so we can obtain the necessities for each day.

Of course, the Lord can also give us these things without our working for them. He does so only when there is no other possibility. Think of the Israelites as they traveled through the wilderness. Every day they received manna from the Lord, for they could not grow crops in the wilderness. However, when they came into Canaan, the Lord no longer provided the manna. Then they had to work in the fields to obtain their own food.

We must also pray for health, for understanding, and for ability to do our work. When we are in school, we must do our best, for then later we can earn wages to buy the things we need. Yet in all that we do, we must always remember that God’s blessing is indispensable, for all is dependent upon His blessing.

The Bible says, “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich” (Proverbs 10:22). No, that does not necessarily mean that you will obtain much money. However, if the Lord blesses us so that we can obtain everything that we need, are we not rich? This is especially true if we may five each day in dependence upon the Lord and are daily in need of Him. If there is amazement in your heart because the Lord is so good, you will not feel poor but rich.

Is there anything that we have merited through our sins? There should be deep reverence in your heart toward the Lord when you pray and try to thank Him. In this petition the Lord desires to teach us that we should not trust in ourselves or in other people. Can people cause something to grow? Can people give you the health, strength, and the understanding you need to work? Who can provide for us better than God does? Yet we so often place our trust in men. Such sinfulness is in all of our hearts. Therefore we must pray daily, “Lord, grant that I may place my trust in Thy Word alone.” Thus this petition teaches us that the Lord desires us to pray to Him for everything we need each day. That is the reason that, while we are still young, we learn Psalter 431:4,

“Open,” saith the Lord,
“Wide thy mouth, believing
This My covenant-word:
‘I will, if thou plead,
Fill thine every need,
All thy wants relieving.’”

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The Heidelberg Catechism for Children (50)

Bekijk de hele uitgave van dinsdag 1 januari 2008

The Banner of Truth | 28 Pagina's