The Important and the Necessary

Matthew 4:4 NIV:
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’  ”

These first words Jesus spoke to the devil while he was being tempted hold a few lessons that we will do well to heed as we journey through life. Needs will never end, neither will the desire to satisfy hunger or thirst. These are basic needs that God himself knows are important for our growth and development. No wonder that was the first focus of the devil when he came to tempt Jesus. He knew Jesus was hungry, and he knew he needed food, so he came with a simple proposition: if you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread. Was there ever a doubt that Jesus was the Son of God? Was there anything on record that shows that he could not turn anything into something else? This experience underlines one of Satan's strategies- twist God's answers and decisions into questions,placing doubt in man's heart, making him think that maybe, God does not want this one for me. Satan did that for Adam and Eve, taking God's instructions and command, twisting it by adding another element to it, then making them see what they stood to achieve by eating the fruit. That is his Modus Operandi.
Thank God for Jesus- who saw beyond the temporal satisfaction of hunger and was able to establish a true fact: bread only satisfies for a while, bread only works for a season. Long after it has been eaten and forgotten, the real hunger remains, one that only the true Bread of Heaven, the Word of God can satisfy. God's Word is the real thing that matters; as He is the only One who can quench the deep thirst in man's heart. Nothing else will work; nothing else matters.
May our hearts seek after the real Bread; the one that can truly satisfy. Nothing else will work; nothing else matters. His time of favour is here.