Bread Alone

Man shall not live by bread alone but
    by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
Matthew 4:4

I was struck by this verse this morning as I prayed. A number of things popped out to me. First, what does it mean to "live"? Obviously, all men need food to exist in our current state. Without it we would starve. But is this verse speaking of another, fuller life? Jesus said, "I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10).  Paul said, "The righteous shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17).  And, Jesus again said, "I am the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6). Matthew 4:4 cannot be speaking of every man as not every man exists on this earth through sustenance on the word of God. So, I would submit that Jesus is speaking of a life that is unique to a believer and that that life is sustained, nurtured and/or advanced through a regular diet on the word of God and continues into eternity. The second observation I had was that Jesus is the Word of God. He is also the Bread of Life (John 6:48, 51). Not only is the scripture to be a regular source of life giving grace to a disciple, but Jesus himself is the ultimate fulfillment of scripture and the ultimate source of our "life". The third observation is that a follower of Christ can exist on worldly food without a reliance on scripture and Jesus. This is a often a life of dryness, worry and fruitlessness...a place I have ventured unfortunately long and often. Today, I am concentrating on feasting on Jesus Christ and His Word. What else is it that I need? 

Fire For God.

God, I pray Thee,
Light these idle sticks of my life and may I burn out for Thee.
Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine.
I seek not a long life, but a full one.

Jim Elliot.

Life

Life here can be a struggle. Jesus told us it would be. But, God has a plan for a great future for those who believe.

Jesus said..."In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33

To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. Genesis 3:16-17

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. Habakkuk 3:17-19.

Jesus said...."I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. Revelation 21:1-7.