Verse of the Day 2/11

 

 

Matthew 4:3-4     And the tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." ⁴ But he answered, "It is written,

"'Man shall not live by bread alone,
    but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"   English Standard Version (ESV)

Yesterday, the first day of Lent, we considered that many "give up something" for God during this time and that it could be giving up, devoting time to be with Him, to "walk steadily" with Him.  Why 40 days?  Perhaps it goes back to the Old Testament where Moses was without food or drink on Mt. Sinai for 40 days and nights or when Elijah fasted for that long (1 Kings 9).

Bishop Robert Barron writes, "The goal of the Biblical initiation rituals is to convey this simple truth: your life is not about you. It is about God and God's purposes for you….This was the purpose of Jesus's forty-day sojourn in the desert, which we model during Lent. The desert represents a stripping away of our attachments, so as to make the fundamental things appear. In the desert, there are no distractions or diversions or secondary matters. Everything is basic, necessary, and simple. Either one survives or one doesn't. One finds in the desert strengths and weaknesses he never knew he had."

If you have committed to give up something for God and devote that time to "walk with Him", you too will face temptations.  Other things will come up where you'll have to decide which you are truly committed to.  You may face other types of temptations that can interrupt your walk, may cause you to stumble.    Jesus was tempted in all ways including the "lust of the flesh" (Matt. 4:2-3) the lust of the eyes  (v.8-9) and the pride of life (v.5-6).  And how did he overcome these temptations?  Verse 4 in today's passage gives us the anwer, by God's Word, feeding on it and being sustained by it.

If you have given up something and hunger for it, may that hunger be satisfied with that "closer walk" with the "Bread of Life" and He will sustain us by "a steady stream of words from God's mouth" (The Message) as we draw near to the heart of God.

There is a place of quiet rest, 
near to the heart of God; 
a place where sin cannot molest, 
near to the heart of God. 
Refrain: 
O Jesus, blest Redeemer, 
sent from the heart of God, 
hold us who wait before thee 
near to the heart of God. 

 

Blessings, 

Mike

Matthew 4:3-4The Message (MSG)

The Test

4 ^1-3 Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to give it. Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger, which the Devil took advantage of in the first test: "Since you are God's Son, speak the word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread."

⁴ Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: "It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth."