August 11, 2021
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
~Matthew 4:4~
Many of us are hungry. Hungry for more love. Hungry for more time. Hungry for more joy. Hungry for a purpose. There are things we fill ourselves with physically to feel that craved satisfaction. There are possessions we rely on to make us feel whole. With these things they come only from one place, from the mouth of God. There is not one thing we aquire that does not come from His word. We make our decisions to ask, we receive and we praise Him. When these things run out, get old or perish we begin to wallow and ask for more. What are we really hungry for? What are our spirits desiring most? I believe we all crave more of God's presence, relationship and acceptance. You know what? The Lord wants the same from us.
Each day He pursues in being patient as He waits for each of His children to crave the right type of bread.
"I am the bread of life." (John 6:48)
Just as the living waters satisfy our thirst, the manna from God's Kingdom is more then enough for our bodies. It does not only fill out flesh, it fills our souls and our spirits to the fullest; "to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
(Ephesians 3:19)
Jesus Christ brings a type of satisfaction that none other can bring. We were designed to know Him. What are we eating? Are we filling ourselves with the bread of this world and still remaining hungry? We must desire the right things. We must have gratitude toward what God has provided. The israelites struggled with this understanding in the wilderness. They received directly from God time and time again and still was only temporarily satisfied. Were they desiring these things for the right reasons? It seems as though they were looking to fill their flesh when God was teaching them how to fill their spirits; "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)
The israelites were lacking hope for they could not look to the things that God was giving them to be sufficient. God needed to cause them to seek humility.
"So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord."
(Deuteronomy 8:3)
Jesus was using this scripture, a spoken word from God, as a weapon in the wilderness against satan's attempts to make Jesus follow the world. He was attempting to cause Jesus to give Himself His own bread when it was not according to the will of His Father. Some folks these days are attempting to make their own bread in which to be satisified on but we know that when we run off our own strength we will fall. We cannot live with true fullness without our Father in Heaven. Man or woman can not live by bread alone. We must rely on God's word, fill ourselves with His instruction, serve Him with our whole heart and be willing to truely die to who we think we ought to be.
"For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."
(Romans 8:13)
Jesus was living according to the Spirit and the temptation satan came along with was to fulfill the flesh, Jesus was not having it.
The Lord is calling us to fill our spirits, to eat of the right bread and remain full on Him. The rest will follow as we put Him first appreciating all that we have, knowing it comes only from Him; "in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (I Thessalonians 5:18)
The world will only give us things to satisfy our flesh and it will turn us wanting more of the wrong things. It is time to speak out as Jesus did and declare this scripture for the devil lurks attempting to stir us up in want. Our Good Shepherd is offering us a life with Him to be satisfied with nothing but what He has to give. Let us reject the enemy and surrender to the right bread, giving God the glory!
Prayer:
Gracious God, thank you for providing me all that I need and even the things I do not. I desire to eat of the right bread in my life, to serve you fully and to bring more into knowing You. You are my biggest want and I am asking for more. Lord help me to follow the right path and not complain in doing so. The bread in which I crave is all sufficient and true. Lead me today Lord. Strengthen my body, mind and spirit on the things of heaven. I do not wish to follow the world or rely on You for only things that I am personally searching for. It is because of You I am satisfied. In Your Mighty Name, Jesus Christ. Amen.