There is an old (undoubtably outdated) saying – “another day, another dollar.” This saying originated from American sailors, who in the 19th century, were paid a dollar a day on long voyages, where each day was pretty much the same as the day before it had been and therefore their days at sea were fairly monotonous.

Not so, however, my daily prayer walks. Now you might think that my walks would be the same each day, just like the sailors’ days at sea. And I do usually walk the same route around the neighborhood at about the same time each day. (you would think I would get bored and mix it up a little, but no, I tend to be a creature of habit) Yet even with keeping to the same route and the same schedule, no two walks are ever the same. Of course, the weather is constantly changing, but it is much more than that.

It is the joy of the unexpected encounter, which always takes me by surprise, then leaves me uplifted and thanking God afterwards. I receive these “chance” encounters as gifts from God, as reminders of His constant presence with me and with others, wherever we are. Today’s encounter was pure joy. I came upon another walker who appeared to be on her phone as she walked (not unusual) although she was listening rather than talking. We had said “hello” in passing a few times previously, and today was no different. Well, no different at first, and then it was.

Turns out she was listening to “Our Daily Bread” which I recognized as a daily devotion from God’s word. So I walked with her and we listened together to God’s word to us as we walked. What a great way to start a new day – breakfast with a friend! I guess I should explain that one. There’s a reason this particular daily Bible reading is called “Our Daily Bread.” In Matthew, Jesus says something interesting in His response to satan, when satan tempts Jesus in the desert, after Jesus had been fasting for forty days and forty nights. Their conversation goes like this –

“The tempter came to Him (Jesus) and said, ‘If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.’ Jesus answered, ‘It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ” (Matthew 4:3-4)

Get it? God’s Word is our daily bread. We need to eat physical food every day. We need God’s Word every day. Food gives my body the strength and energy I need to be able to do everything that the day will require of me. Likewise, God’s Word gives me the wisdom, direction, teaching, hope, truth and inspiration I need in order to deal well with every situation and person I will encounter that day. I can’t survive long without either one – physical food or God’s Word. God told the Israelites as much when He told them this –

“Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you – they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.” (Deuteronomy 32:46-47)

God’s words are life to you and to me! In John I read this –

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. . . . The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1-2 & 14)

The Word – the Living Word – that’s Jesus! No wonder Jesus said this about Himself to His disciples –

“Then Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty.’ ” (John 6:35)

Jesus is the Living Word – which explains why we are told we aren’t meant to live on just physical bread alone, but truly by “every word that comes from the mouth of God.” The first is simply survival. The second leads us to the life that God intended for us – the life that Jesus talked about when He said –

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

Every day I am hungry for physical food and I am intentional about eating the food my body needs to keep going. There are even favorite foods that I crave. I will go to great lengths to find, purchase and prepare these foods. But I have to ask myself, am I as intentional about being fed from God’s Living Word? God’s words are life to me. They feed my mind, my heart and my spirit. God’s Word sustains me. Apart from His Word I grow weak and weary and I lose my way. Jesus told His disciples this –

“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” (John 6:63)

There it is again – God’s words are life. No wonder when I turn to God’s Word, His words fill my heart with hope, they renew my mind, they light my way, they lift my spirit, they give me life. As I walked with my new found friend, the two of us listening together to God’s Word being read out loud, I realized how hungry I was for God’s word, starving actually. His word fills all those places in me that the world cannot fill, that the world cannot satisfy. My mind, my heart and my spirit long to be filled with His Living Word daily. Nothing else will satisfy the longing of my heart and soul.

What a special time we had in those few moments of feasting together on God’s Word, my new friend and I had. We discovered we had much in common in addition to being sisters in Christ. I gave my Heavenly Father thanks for His gift to me of another unexpected encounter of the very best kind – breakfast with a new friend from His Daily Bread. It’s like Jesus told His disciples –

“I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:48-51)

sincerely, Grace Day