Not By Bread Alone

Last month, my husband Terry and I arrived at the YWAM (Youth with a Mission) Base at San Antonio del Mar, Mexico, on the Pacific coast just south of the American border. We had flown down to volunteer, doing whatever needed to be done while young people were being trained for missions. So here we were, without a car or any public transportation.

A pastor's wife, who lived sixteen kilometres north of the Base in Playas de Tijuana, invited us to her home, and I jumped at the chance. The kindergarten helper who worked at the YWAM Base would be driving home to Playas de Tijuana in the early afternoon, and she said that we could visit that very day. I hadn't really considered how or when we would get back to the Base. When we arrived in Playas, I realized that we were at a border town, with the giant border wall looming before us.

After briefly viewing the beach and driving by the wall, we found ourselves at the pastor's home. Every Friday evening, our new friends ministered to the homeless and immigrants from Central and South America, so we busied ourselves assembling sandwiches to give out. Then, we were invited to come along to their outreach. As I waited in the car, I cried out to God, "You have to help me. We're obviously not going to make it back to the Base in time for dinner, and I'm getting hungry." I'm the type who does not ever miss a meal or like having it delayed. I didn't think that the sandwiches were for us; there weren't that many.

At an open area near the wall, Terry and I were surprised to find a team of students from the YWAM Base already there, ready to minister. A sound system was set up, music was played, and a handful of people were offered a hot drink and a sandwich. I tried to imagine myself in the immigrants' shoes.

Eventually, we caught a ride back to the Base in the team's van, clutching a leftover sandwich wrapped in foil. Back in our room, I discovered that I wasn't hungry, and I was completely satisfied with the tomato and lettuce sandwich. The Lord had answered my prayer about making it home for supper by removing my hunger, and thus looked after my need in an unexpected way.

Matthew 6:31-33 – So don't worry about these things, saying, "What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?" These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. (NLT)

God looks after our basic needs as believers so that we can focus on spiritual things. Let's seek the kingdom of God first, remembering that God will give us everything that we need.

Prayer: Thank You, Lord, that because we believers are Your children, You look after us. Help us not to worry about the things that we need, but to trust You. Help us, instead, to seek Your kingdom above all else. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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