But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God'” (Matthew 4:4 NASB 1995).
Here, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 8:3 in response to satan’s temptation to command stones to become bread. Jesus knew the Scriptures, He had applied them to His life, and He obeyed them! Deuteronomy 8:3 recounts how God provided daily manna for the people of Israel in light of their lack of bread. This lack of bread was God’s doing, so that the people would learn that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
We also need to read God’s Word, the Bible, every day because it is spiritual nourishment for our souls. I recognize this in my own life when I don’t read it, because I find myself longing for it and I struggle to obey God more without it. God’s Word is more important than literal food, and we should all treat it as such.
May God help us to read His Word every day! I’ve been doing so consistently for a long time now (all by God’s grace, and I’m very thankful), but I must keep it up and protect that time in my day when other priorities would rise to take the Bible’s place.
Lord, help us to stay in Your Word, to be fed by it, and to be sanctified by its truth! (John 17:17 – “Sanctify them in the truth; Your Word is truth”).
Chase Thompson 