Morning By Morning #45

Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived.

2 Kings 25:30

From the pen of Charles Spurgeon:

Jehoiachin was not sent away from the king’s palace with a supply of goods to last him for months, but was given his allotment “day by day.” In this story he pictures for us the blessed position of all the Lord’s people. A daily portion is really all we need. We do not need tomorrow’s supply, for that day has not yet dawned and its needs are still unborn. The thirst we may experience in the month of June does not need to be quenched here in February, for we don’t even feel it yet. As long as we have enough to meet our needs “day by day,” as each day arrives, we will never be in need.

Each day’s supply is all we can enjoy. We cannot eat or drink or wear more than each day’s supply of food and clothing, not to mention the fact that having a surplus causes us the problem of finding a place to store it and having the anxiety of needing to protect it from a thief. One walking cane or stick helps a hiker, but trying to carry a bundle of them is a burden.

Having enough food is actually as good as a vast feast and in reality is all even the worst glutton can truly enjoy. This is all we should expect, and having a craving for more exposes our ungratefulness. When our Father does not give us more, we should be content with His daily allowance.

Jehoiachin’s story is our story, for we too have a guaranteed supply given to us by our King. It is a perpetual and generous portion. Surely this is a great reason to be thankful.

Dear Christian reader, when it comes to the need for grace you simply need a daily supply. Do you feel a lack of strength for this week? Then seek help “day by day” from above. What a sweet assurance it is to know you will be provided your daily portion! Through God’s Word, ministry for Him, meditation, prayer, and waiting upon Him, your strength will be renewed. In Jesus everything you will ever need has been “stored up for you” (Col. 1:5).

So enjoy your “regular allowance.” Never go hungry while the daily bread of grace is on God’s table of mercy.

From the pen of Jim Reimann:

Due east of Jerusalem the landscape quickly and dramatically changes. Jerusalem is situated where it receives a good amount of moisture from the Mediterranean, but little makes it beyond the top of the Mount of Olives. Thus, desert conditions exist from its eastern slopes to the Dead Sea and beyond.

Bedouins there have learned to graze their sheep early in the morning. During the night enough moisture makes it over the mountains to generate little sprigs of grass, but only enough to feed them for one day. By afternoon “the grass withers” (Isa. 40:7) away.

David, the shepherd from Bethlehem, wrote, “He makes me lie down in green pastures” (Ps. 23:2), and since Bethlehem has much the same landscape, his “green pastures” were most likely these little daily sprigs of grass his Lord provided.

Heavenly Shepherd, thank You for Your faithfulness to “give us each day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3).