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Furnaces, COVID-19 and Daily Bread


Through some missionaries, we’ve become aware of some people in dire need during these difficult days of COVID-19. 

Geographically, they range from some families in Kenya, to some Venezuelan refugees in Peru to a Bolivian community in Argentina.  They each have some unique challenges but the common thread is that they need food for each day.

As one who lives in the United States and as one who has experienced economic security all my life, the basic need for food for each day is far from my experience.  While I might feel the need to pray for ongoing employment, health insurance and a stable retirement account, I must admit that I have more than enough food for today. 

In Luke 11, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray.  The phrase “give us each day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3) is very familiar but I must admit that it has not really encompassed a sense of urgency, at least for me personally.  But the folks described above feel that urgency.  And there are many others who do also.

Little did I know, as I was writing this, that our furnace would quit working.  Our prayers could have switched from “give us this day our daily bread” to “give us this day the funds to replace our furnace!”

But I should mention that when news of the stimulus money first became public, we wondered what need we would have in the future that the funds would be used for.  We probably now know!  And while we haven’t received the funds yet and we are now in the process of getting quotes for replacing the furnace, we are grateful that God knew our need long before it became apparent to us.  So we give thanks and we prayerfully wait to see how He will meet our needs in this situation. 

But we are still burdened for those who need enough food for today.  So we pray for them that the Lord would give them their daily bread.  And we plan to continue in our giving.

Will you join in prayer?  Will you join in giving?  If you need some ideas on ways to get funds directly to those in need, as mentioned above, email me at:  seeman.scme@gmail.com


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