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"Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread"

Commentary by Peter Hawkins
United Church of God pastor, the British Isles

The title above is part of the well-known prayer—often called "The Lord's Prayer"—that Jesus Christ taught His disciples.

Surprisingly, it is also the title of the lead article in the February edition of The Middle East magazine. The magazine cover promoted the article with the following banner: "Why rich countries are buying the world's most fertile land."

Countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Libya and Iran are oil-rich but short of arable land, causing them and other Middle Eastern countries to look for hundreds of thousands of acres abroad to insure their long-term food security. Brazil and Indonesia are among the targeted nations.

The article also indicates that Britain and the European Union are "pressuring poorer states, particularly in Africa, to allow them to operate on their farmland and to fish their coastal waters."

There could be some dangerous international consequences from this quest for land beyond national borders. In the past, poor crops because of changing climate conditions have caused vast populations to invade fertile countries in their quest for food. Rarely have these intrusions remained peaceful.

Nearly 4,000 years ago God used Joseph, the great grandson of Abraham, to store food for Egypt and surrounding nations for a time of severe food shortages. He revealed to Joseph that seven bountiful harvests would be followed by seven years of drought. This foresight to store food allowed many people in the Middle East to be fed during a time regional famine.

Here in the United Kingdom the recent economic troubles started about the same time we began abandoning our traditional values. We have forsaken the Bible as the standard by which our values should be measured. We have also overlooked the biblical prophecies concerning the British people that clarify why we became so influential in the world as a global empire and how we can be secure today.

Sadly, we now swing between two extremes: (1) feeling guilty for having built an empire with colonies that spread the English language around the world, and (2) pride in thinking that our former blessings were the result of our own prowess. Let's consider where all of this, especially our departure from godly values, could lead us.

The experience of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon as recorded in Daniel 4:28-30 provides us with an important lesson. Daniel had warned the King that his kingdom would go to another ruler if he didn't break off his sinful conduct. Instead of humbling himself, Nebuchadnezzar contemplated his own greatness. Twelve months later as he "was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, he said, 'Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?'" Shortly thereafter he lost his kingdom and for seven years ate grass like an animal before his sanity and kingdom were restored (verses 33-37).

Nebuchadnezzar's experience illustrates what can happen when we ignore the instructions of our Creator. Today many of us live in city environments, extremely vulnerable to broken supply chains and unable to grow our basic food needs. Overnight, we—like King Nebuchadnezzar—could experience dire circumstances.

Today the economy is sliding toward a time of trouble comparable to the 1930s. If this downward slide continues, the enormity of debt now evident throughout Europe will tempt governments to print devalued money and repeat the hyper-inflation that plagued all of Europe during the Great Depression.

That in turn will produce a political environment favourable for the rise of extreme political parties concerned with national stability and economic protectionism. Add to this the fact that as America's new president prepares to withdraw much of the U.S. military from troubled areas, a power vacuum could emerge that Europe would try to fill for the sake of its own security.

This brings us back to the contrast between turning to God to provide our daily bread as Jesus taught in the model prayer, and The Middle East magazine's focus on nations scrambling to secure food supplies by taking over agricultural land in other nations.

When Jesus walked this earth the Romans were in control of the land of Israel and took many resources from that country to supply the Empire's needs. When famine hit the Middle East in the first century it became very difficult for the average Christian in Jerusalem to survive (Acts 11:28-30).

Could we, like the early Christians, again become desperate for basic daily needs such as food and water? That possibility is frighteningly real.

You can have this all put in its proper perspective by requesting, downloading or reading online our free, enlightening booklet: Are We Living in the Time of the End?

Related Resources

Will Global Economic Turmoil Precede Jesus Christ's Return?
What possible connection could the global marketplace have with Jesus Christ's return? Do you understand the Bible's prophetic links?

What's Behind the Growing Food Crisis?
Growing shortages around the world are driving up the price of food. For hundreds of millions this could lead to hunger or starvation. What's behind the global food crisis, and how can it be resolved?

How's Your Prayer Life?
We all make time for what we value the most. Have you gotten into the habit of praying to God on a regular basis? Need some instruction and encouragement? Here it is!