Bread; Word

Bread; Word!

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4 KJV

How do you explain the move from public affirmation by heaven to obscurity in the desert? You would expect that after open heavens and divine testament to the sonship and authority of Jesus, the next thing would be public proof. Guess that's not the way God works. There was a need to get inner strength for the public works that were ahead. Without the inner preparation that only God can wrought, no man can be used mightily and extensively by God.

That private preparation is the time to lay your entire life before God, so He can deal with whatever will stand in your way in the future. After 40 days and nights of fasting, of course, Jesus was hungry, and of course, the first temptation had to do with his primary need: food. Beware of the attraction and deceit that comes from what you think is important and pressing NOW.

Beware of the pressure to prove a point that doesn't need to be made. The devil wanted Jesus to prove He was the Son of God. Of course, He is, but the bigger danger was that the devil would have succeeded in getting Jesus to react more out of fear of people's opinions, rather than a secure knowledge of who he was, irrespective of man's opinions. This is the gravest tragedy of our generation: we want to please men; we want to be loved; we want to make men comfortable; we want to satisfy their every whim. Unfortunately, God's call isn't first about our comfort or convenience, but about our inner character. 

And that's the essence of today's extract. Man needs bread to live, but bread isn't enough. Man will need earthly things, but he is doomed if that is all he lives for. Bread is good, but bread is limited. It can only satisfy for a season, but the Word of God is able to address both physical and spiritual needs. What you need most isn't what the body needs, but what your soul needs. God's Word is bread for your soul. It is all you need to make it through this difficult world. 

What are your priorities? What are the things that hold your heart? The truth behind your response will be the foundation and basis of your earthly impact and your eternal reality. His time of favour is here.