The Word We Live By

Having the Bible at our fingertips is one of the greatest blessings God has given us. Before we begin today, let’s open our time together with a prayer.

Heavenly Father, when I think of all the times You have been here for me, I feel humbled, loved, and blessed. I am very grateful to You for providing me with so many weapons to use to defend my soul from the forces trying to defeat me. Lord, help me to be ever mindful of Your unwavering presence in my life, and to share this truth with those around me. Amen.

Matthew 4:1-4 (NLT)
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. 2 For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.

3 During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,
‘People do not live by bread alone,

    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

I find fasting to be very difficult. I believe part of it is a mind game. I make the commitment to fast, but then for some reason, I feel hungrier and weaker than when I skip a meal or two simply because I am too busy to take the time to eat. I can’t fathom how Jesus must have physically felt after fasting for forty days and nights. To be that hungry, weak, and vulnerable, it’s no wonder satan struck and tempted Jesus at this moment. Our enemy is an opportunist, and will always be present when we are at our most vulnerable. Have you ever experienced a spiritual attack at a moment of vulnerability?

But even Jesus needed and called upon the word of His Father to defend Himself against the attack of satan. Jesus reached back to a time when God provided bread from heaven to the Israelites during the time of Exodus. In Deuteronomy 8:3, Moses reminded the Israelites:

Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Some people take this passage out of context and paraphrase the first part, “Man does not live by bread alone,” then further use it to justify their desire for material things that this world has to offer. But we know the truth of what God is saying, and we can gain spiritual strength by reading and relying on God’s word.

Jesus rebuked satan by reminding him that our bodies may need food to survive, but there is a greater sustenance needed to feed the soul. Do you believe the Bible can provide spiritual sustenance that will feed, strengthen, and protect your soul?

As we close today, go to God in prayer and thank Him for His word. Use the following prompt if you need help getting started:

Father, I am so thankful for Your word. Help me to use this great blessing as a tool and a weapon to feed and protect my soul…

I pray that you allow God’s word to be a guiding force in your life; one of the many blessings our Father has given us so we can live our best lives.